Durant having jersey retired

[CameronBornAndBred]

I think this is totally sad. Texas is retiring Kevin Durant's jersey number. HE PLAYED ONE YEAR!!!
Big whoop if he was great that one year, that just boggles my mind. Why lift a player to revered-for-ever status when in the scope of things he gave so little. Sigh.

[bhd28]

I think this is totally sad. Texas is retiring Kevin Durant's jersey number. HE PLAYED ONE YEAR!!!
Big whoop if he was great that one year, that just boggles my mind. Why lift a player to revered-for-ever status when in the scope of things he gave so little. Sigh.

I can see both sides... quality vs. quantity. He swept the NPOY awards, which counts for a lot. On the other hand, he didn't help his team win conference title or get to the Sweet 16. On the plus side, he is going back to take classes toward his degree in the offseason. If he had the same team success as Carmelo did (an NCAA title), I would say it is okay to retire his jersey... as it stands... I agree with you that they should not retire it.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm glad we have higher standards. Elton Brand, who is definately deserving of being honored, and gave us in his 2 years more than Durant gave to Texas in his one, also was NPOY. But he isn't hanging in Cameron, and I don't think he should be. It also surprises me that until this point, UT only had retired 4 jerseys ever. I wonder what changed their standards.

[mph]

I think this is totally sad. Texas is retiring Kevin Durant's jersey number. HE PLAYED ONE YEAR!!!
Big whoop if he was great that one year, that just boggles my mind. Why lift a player to revered-for-ever status when in the scope of things he gave so little. Sigh.

I agree. There might be a reasonable argument had Durant brought Texas a title, but I don't see how you can retire the jersey of a player who had one season of impressive individual accomplishments, no matter how impressive.

A related question. Does anyone know of a situation where an NBA player had his jersey retired even though he played for a very short time with the team that retired his jersey?

[A-Tex Devil]

but I don't see how you can retire the jersey of a player who had one season of impressive individual accomplishments, no matter how impressive.

Easy -- you're a school that can count on half of one hand the number of POY candidates you've ever had in basketball. UT has TJ Ford and Durant. Period.

I don't fully agree with it, but I understand it. Liken it to a Vince Young type coming to Duke, redshirting his frosh season, getting Duke to a bowl his RS-Freshman season, then to a major (non-BCS) bowl his RS-sophmore season while also winning the Heisman, Maxwell, Davy O'Brien awards, etc. etc. Then he leaves for the NFL with 2 years of eligibility left.

I imagine there would be talk about retiring that guy's number, and I wouldn't object at all.

[CameronBornAndBred]

A related question. Does anyone know of a situation where an NBA player had his jersey retired even though he played for a very short time with the team that retired his jersey?

The Miami Heat retired Michael Jordan's number, even though he never played for them.

[phaedrus]

Every team in the NHL retired #99. Wasn't really their choice though.

[mgtr]

I would guess that UT is looking to make money on this move down the line.

[mph]

Easy -- you're a school that can count on half of one hand the number of POY candidates you've ever had in basketball. UT has TJ Ford and Durant. Period.

I don't understand your point. What does this have to do with the decision to retire Durant's jersey?

I don't fully agree with it, but I understand it. Liken it to a Vince Young type coming to Duke, redshirting his frosh season, getting Duke to a bowl his RS-Freshman season, then to a major (non-BCS) bowl his RS-sophmore season while also winning the Heisman, Maxwell, Davy O'Brien awards, etc. etc. Then he leaves for the NFL with 2 years of eligibility left.

I imagine there would be talk about retiring that guy's number, and I wouldn't object at all.

Even your hypothetical Dukie stays for two years. Imagine if he played as a true freshman, won the Heisman, led us to the Continental Tire Bowl and then left. He'd have my gratitude, but not support for retiring his jersey. Would he have yours?

I'd also point out that Texas basketball at the time Durant arrived was nowhere near the current lowly state of Duke football. Texas made the tournament each of the 8 years prior to Durant arriving, including one Final Four appearance. They made the Elite Eight the year before and after Durant. How much stronger is Texas basketball than when he arrived?

[sagegrouse]

Every team in the NHL retired #99. Wasn't really their choice though.

What's the status of Jackie Robinson's #42 in baseball? I thought it was retired throughout both leagues with perhaps on or two exceptions.

sagegrouse

[A-Tex Devil]

I don't understand your point. What does this have to do with the decision to retire Durant's jersey?

Gosh, we would NEVER do something like that at Duke! Geez! The nerve! Well, Texas is a different b-ball school with a different history. My point was that Texas has never had a b-ball player come through like that before (not even TJ, really) -- consensus best player in the country, etc. etc. It's been a dime a dozen here since 1986 (Dawkins, Laetner, Hill, Brand, J. Williams, Redick) so perhaps we are used to it. It's just different history and different perspective of another school, and, honestly, a different era. Durant won't be the first. I wouldn't be surprised if Beasley's number gets retired as well. (Have any consensus MOP's ever not had their jersey retired by their school -- maybe Brand, but Rip Hamilton won some awards that year too)

On the flip side, their football history is so rich, they literally just retired Tommy Nobis' jersey last week as well!!

Even your hypothetical Dukie stays for two years. Imagine if he played as a true freshman, won the Heisman, led us to the Continental Tire Bowl and then left. He'd have my gratitude, but not support for retiring his jersey. Would he have yours?

I'd also point out that Texas basketball at the time Durant arrived was nowhere near the current lowly state of Duke football. Texas made the tournament each of the 8 years prior to Durant arriving, including one Final Four appearance. They made the Elite Eight the year before and after Durant. How much stronger is Texas basketball than when he arrived?

My hypo in football was redhsirt plus 2 years because you have to be 3 years out of high school to be drafted by the NFL. You can't leave after your freshman year. It's a little bit of apples to oranges comparing the 2 sports, but my point was that if Duke had a football player that stayed the minimum amount of time possible, brought us some success, and swept every major player of the year award, there would be talk of retiring his number. Period. I might support it. It would really depend. Was the rest of our team strong? Did we ride on the guy's back just to get to a bowl? I don't know.

As an aside - I believe Michael Vick's number was retired at Va Tech, and they were pretty decent when he got there, so maybe that is a better example.

Durant won just about every post-season award last year. It can't hurt recruiting, and although Texas has had some really good teams in the past decade, they really never had a transcendent player like that in their history. Again, I don't support Durant's number begin retired, but I understand it and I won't fault Texas for it or play holier than though either. I mean, you can question a lot of athletic departments around the country, but Texas can pretty much do what they want given their history. They felt it served a purpose to honor the best basketball player to ever come through the campus by retiring his number, so they did it.

[mph]

Gosh, we would NEVER do something like that at Duke! Geez! The nerve! Well, Texas is a different b-ball school with a different history. My point was that Texas has never had a b-ball player come through like that before (not even TJ, really) -- consensus best player in the country, etc. etc. It's been a dime a dozen here since 1986 (Dawkins, Laetner, Hill, Brand, J. Williams, Redick) so perhaps we are used to it. It's just different history and different perspective of another school, and, honestly, a different era. Durant won't be the first. I wouldn't be surprised if Beasley's number gets retired as well. (Have any consensus MOP's ever not had their jersey retired by their school -- maybe Brand, but Rip Hamilton won some awards that year too)

I think you're reading too much into my initial post. I didn't say anything that even implied a comparison to Duke's criteria for retiring jerseys. I also don't think disagreeing with their decision implies a "holier than thou" attitude. If something I said left that impression, I assure you it wasn't my intent. Otherwise, it looks like we're closer to agreement than disagreement.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

It's been a dime a dozen here since 1986 (Dawkins, Laetner, Hill, Brand, J. Williams, Redick) so perhaps we are used to it.

Neither Grant Hill nor Thomas Hill was NPOY.

And, you forgot Battier.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Neither Grant Hill nor Thomas Hill was NPOY.

And, you forgot Battier.

Good point. I knew T.Hill wasn't, but had sort of assumed that Grant must have won it to have the jersey in the rafters. It's almost amazing that he didn't, but Hurley's up there too, and no NPOY. They can thank Laettner for robbing the spotlight, but I thank him too. If Duke had beaten Arkansas, Hill probably would have gotten his. Damn Razorbacks.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Good point. I knew T.Hill wasn't, but had sort of assumed that Grant must have won it to have the jersey in the rafters. It's almost amazing that he didn't, but Hurley's up there too, and no NPOY. They can thank Laettner for robbing the spotlight, but I thank him too. If Duke had beaten Arkansas, Hill probably would have gotten his. Damn Razorbacks.

NPOY is decided before the Final Four. But even if it were done later, Grant Hill would not have been 1994 NPOY even if Duke had beaten Arkansas. Glenn Robinson of Purdue was undisputed NPOY for his regular season play. He was clearly outplayed by Hill when Duke beat Purdue in NCAA tournament, but Hill was not seriously considered for NPOY.

Another Duke NPOY omitted by A-Tex Devil is Danny Ferry (1989).

[Edouble]

(Have any consensus MOP's ever not had their jersey retired by their school -- maybe Brand, but Rip Hamilton won some awards that year too).

As did Jason Terry.

[A-Tex Devil]

NPOY is decided before the Final Four. But even if it were done later, Grant Hill would not have been 1994 NPOY even if Duke had beaten Arkansas. Glenn Robinson of Purdue was undisputed NPOY for his regular season play. He was clearly outplayed by Hill when Duke beat Purdue in NCAA tournament, but Hill was not seriously considered for NPOY.

Another Duke NPOY omitted by A-Tex Devil is Danny Ferry (1989).

So I missed some, but I think I made my point. We've had an insane amount of NPOY's in the last 20 years, yes?

My "holier than thou" comment was kind of a broad generalization (not pointed at anyone in particular) of the comments I've seen from Duke, KU, UNC fans etc. that such a thing would NEVER happen at our/their school. Fair enough. UT simply decided to to retire the number of the best player ever to grace its basketball court. Looking back on their history of great players at UT (name 3 that even came close to first team all-american. I can name 2. Maybe), it's a reasonable argument. What's wrong with retiring the number of your best player ever?

Schools like KU, UNC, and Duke would never claim a one and done player, no matter how good their freshman year, was their best player ever simply because of their rich histories. Texas, K-State, others, don't have that luxury.

[blazindw]

What's the status of Jackie Robinson's #42 in baseball? I thought it was retired throughout both leagues with perhaps on or two exceptions.

sagegrouse

It was retired throughout baseball, but there was a grandfather clause that stated that any player wearing #42 at the time the number was retired was allowed to continue wearing #42 for the rest of their career. To my knowledge, the only player left under that clause that is still playing is Mariano Rivera.

[dukemomLA]

Durant jersey retired??!?? Ridiculous. Can I vomit now? Does TX have nothing better to do? Not only did he spend only one year at TX, but he still has to prove himself (or not) in the NBA. Is all of this just a mirage, or my nightmare? Yuck, yuck, yuck.

And Kevin...if you are reading this. Take heart. I think you're a wonderful player with great potential. So LIVE UP TO IT. And then I will applaud your jersey being retired.......and the many MVPs to come. Or not.

[ItalianDevil]

That is ridiculous, makes a pair with the hanging of Joe Forte's number from Chapel Hill... I mean, it's not mandatory to hang jersey numbers to the ceiling. Then after just one year of college hoops (and when you team win absolutely anything).
This is what separes us from the rest of College Hoops...

GO DUKE!!!!!!