LaMarcus Aldridge to wear No. 12 with Bowen's blessings

[ace3g]

This is either the greatest news ever or worst, depending on which graphic designer you speak to...

[DrunkTXLabrat]

LaMarcus not counting on retiring his number with the Spurs

[z0sa]

We can just retire two numbers twelves.

[JR3]

Our franchise does whatever the they want to do! Like a boss!

[urunobili]

Too bad AJ wasnt such a good sport when they gave his #6 to Manu back in the day.

[el contusione]

Class act by a classy spur.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Pretty cool to see that notification on my phone - so #classy

[Wu36]

Didn't Jordan get fined for switching back to 23 after it was retired?

[SpursBig3s]

Have they already done the press conference announcing Aldridge and West? If not, where can I watch it?

[Gervin44Silas13]

With Bowen’s blessing, Spurs to give No. 12 to Aldridge

Posted on July 9, 2015 | By Jeff McDonald

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Break out those mothballed No. 12 jerseys, Spurs fans.
LaMarcus Aldridge is coming to town – and he’s getting to keep his old number.
With the blessing of its previous owner, Bruce Bowen’s No. 12 is coming out of retirement so that the Spurs’ latest All-Star addition can don his preferred digits.
“You want LaMarcus to feel part of the family,” Bowen told the Express-News. “If I can have a hand in that, shoot, why not? I don’t play anymore.”
Consider it a “Welcome to San Antonio” gift for Aldridge.
Save for two years at the University of Texas spent in No. 23, Aldridge has worn No. 12 every season of his basketball life. That includes all nine of his NBA seasons in Portland.
Though it wasn’t exactly a sticking point in free agency negotiations, Aldridge – a four-time All-Star — wondered if he might be able to keep his old number in San Antonio.
There was one problem. The Spurs retired the No. 12 three years ago to honor Bowen, the starting small forward on NBA championship teams in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Not long after Aldridge agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $80 million to join the Spurs last week, general manager R.C. Buford phoned Bowen to ask about bequeathing the number to the team’s new prize.
The 44-year-old Bowen, who last played in 2009, agreed immediately.
“I hope it helps (Aldridge) feel comfortable,” Bowen said. “If he’s comfortable, the sky’s the limit for him here. It’s one less thing he has to worry about.”

[DJR210]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...79#post8107479

[RD2191]

You're just asking for it today, tbh.

[Gervin44Silas13]

lol it!!!

[mudyez]

I love it, but what if LMA's number 12 gets retired too?

[Mikeanaro]

Great, now LMA can focus on winning.

[spursistan]

With all due respect to both, Bowen and Avery Johnson jerzeys should have never been retired to begin with..Spurs have overdone it in that part..

[RD2191]

With all due respect to both, Bowen and Avery Johnson jerzeys should have never been retired to begin with..Spurs have overdone it in that part..

I agree, way too many retired numbers imo.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

People who deserve standing ovations at the beginning of first home game for making this possible:

Tim Duncan, David West, Bruce Bowen...

You forgot Kawhi for foregoing a year without having a long-term contract in place when he could have force the Spurs to sign him to a Max deal last year.

[szkorhetz]

Have they already done the press conference announcing Aldridge and West? If not, where can I watch it?

Mark your ��
We’ll be LIVE-STREAMING tomorrow's press conference with LaMarcus Aldridge on spurs.com! Coverage starts at 11:45/c

[BillMc]

You forgot Kawhi for foregoing a year without having a long-term contract in place when he could have force the Spurs to sign him to a Max deal last year.

Good point.

[callo1]

I mean that's cool, but it sort of devalues the retired jersey concept a bit, no?

Actually, I think it speaks volumes to the reason the jersey is in the rafters in the first place tbqh. Fans in SA have learned over the years to appreciate the selflessness of actions such as TD and Manu this year, as well as the Admiral in the past. Pop always speaks about the Spurs culture being in part about adding players to the roster who have "gotten over themselves".

Bruce allowing LaMarcus to use his number epitomizes the Spurs way.

DWest, as some have already mentioned, will be in instant fan favorite because he fits in with the Spurs mantra perfectly.

[Dex]

With all due respect to both, Bowen and Avery Johnson jerzeys should have never been retired to begin with..Spurs have overdone it in that part..

Bruce was an integral part to 3 les and was a true Spur through and through. If anything, he deserved it more than Elliott.

AJ on the other hand...well, he hit that one shot that one time.

[Rev Hill]

Nice of Bruce but it shouldn't be done. If a number is retired it's retired. Can you imagine someone wearing #44 out there this year? Not that Bruce is close to Ice, but the significance of a retired jersey is reduced. Hoping LaMarcus didn't cry for this, but also can't imagine the Spurs asking Bruce without a request first. Weird. Whatever.

[callo1]

While that may be easily argued about Avery, with Bruce, I totally disagree. Each night Bruce laced them up, he had to take on the other teams best offensive perimeter player, and he did a marvelous job. Bruce was robbed of a defensive player of the year arguably twice...once to a player who gained fame with the "fear the fro" campaign, and once to a knucklehead playing in Indiana that always brought attention to himself and later changed his last name.

[Avitus1]

Class act. Good to see Bowen ushering in the new era.