The numbers on basketball uniforms have different regulations and meanings in FIBA and NBA.
FIBA regulations: In international basketball games, players' jersey numbers are limited to between 4 and 15. This regulation is mainly to avoid confusion between referees' gestures and jersey numbers during the game, especially when fouls, free throws and three-point shots are called. For example, when a player commits a foul and gets a free throw, the referee needs to extend two fingers and point to the free throw line; when the player makes a free throw, he needs to extend one finger to the record table; when the player shoots outside the three-point line, the referee must raise three fingers to represent that the shot is a three-point shot. In addition, the order of the size of the player's number is based on height, that is, the taller the stature, the larger the number. Therefore, generally 14 and 15 are centers, and 4, 5, and 6 are guards.
NBA regulations: Unlike FIBA, NBA jersey numbers are generally less than 55 because referees have only 5 fingers on each hand. At the same time, the referee uses one, two, and three fingers to represent 1, 2, and 3 points respectively, so there are no jerseys with numbers 1, 2, and 3. In the NBA, jersey numbers are not just a symbol of playing, but also represent the personality of the player and a symbol of the player himself. For example, numbers like 24 and 23 are not worn by ordinary players, but are the code names of great players such as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.