Helena Frye
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is one of the most successful college basketball programs in the United States, representing Duke University in NCAA Division I. The team has won 5 National Championships and appeared in 11 Championship Games, with 13 retired jerseys—the most of any Division I program. This paragraph will explore the topic of retired jerseys in the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team and their significance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of retired jerseys | 13 |
| Jersey number retired to honour Art Heyman | 25 |
| Year jersey number 25 was retired | 1990 |
| Jersey number 25 worn by | Mark Mitchell |
| Jersey number 31 worn by | Shane Battier |
| Jersey number 32 worn by | Christian Laettner |
| Jersey number 33 worn by | Grant Hill |
| Jersey number 35 worn by | Danny Ferry |
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What You'll Learn
Duke University has retired 13 jerseys
The retired jerseys include the number 25 jersey of Art Heyman, who played for Duke from 1960-63 and averaged 25.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He was named the National Player of the Year and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player in 1963, the year Duke made their first Final Four appearance.
Other retired jerseys include those of Christian Laettner (#32), Grant Hill (#33), and Danny Ferry (#35). Laettner's iconic "turn-around jumper" shot at the buzzer sent Duke to the Final Four in 1992, in what was named the most memorable basketball shot of all time.
To have their jersey retired at Duke, players must graduate from Duke University and be recognized at the national level, such as being named National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, or setting an NCAA record.
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Mark Mitchell wore the retired No. 25
Duke University has retired 13 jerseys in its program history, the most among Division I programs. One of these jerseys is the No. 25, which was retired to honor Art Heyman, a three-time All-American and the first overall pick in the 1963 NBA Draft.
Freshman Mark Mitchell, a 6'8" forward, wore the No. 25 jersey during his freshman season for the Blue Devils in 2022. Mitchell had worn the number while playing at a pair of Kansas high schools and in the McDonald's All-American game. He explained his choice of number: "I've worn it my whole life. When I was younger, Jordan was 23 and Kobe was 24 and no one had 25. So I was like, I'm gonna wear 25."
Duke honored Mitchell's request to wear the number, even though it had been retired. This was the second time Duke had allowed a player to use a retired number during their career, the first being Marvin Bagley, who wore No. 35 after receiving permission from Danny Ferry. Duke officials spoke with Heyman's former teammates and a distant relative, who agreed to let Mitchell use the number. Former Duke head coach Bucky Waters believed that Heyman would have approved, saying, "I believe, looking at it through his eyes, he'd be fine with it."
Mitchell's decision to wear the retired No. 25 jersey is an unusual but not unprecedented move. Duke now faces a potential problem with a limited number of jersey numbers remaining.
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Art Heyman wore No. 25
Duke University has retired 13 men's basketball jerseys, the most of any Division I program. One of these jerseys is the No. 25, worn by Art Heyman.
Arthur Bruce Heyman, born in New York City on June 24, 1941, was a 6'5" guard/forward for Duke University. He was heavily recruited by many schools and initially committed to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels, but he switched to Duke the summer before his freshman year. Due to NCAA eligibility rules, Heyman played his first year at Duke with the freshman team. During his sophomore season, he starred for the varsity team, and his success continued throughout his college career.
Heyman averaged 25.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game during his time at Duke, helping the team reach its first Final Four in 1963. In that year, he was named national player of the year and the Final Four's most outstanding player. He was also named USBWA Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, UPI Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Helms Foundation College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-American. He was the first overall pick in the 1963 NBA draft, selected by the New York Knicks.
Despite his impressive career at Duke, it took years for the university to retire Heyman's jersey. Duke finally retired the No. 25 jersey on March 4, 1990, honouring Heyman's impact on the program.
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Shane Battier wore No. 31
Duke University has retired 13 jersey numbers for its men's basketball team, the most of any Division I program. One of these jerseys was worn by Shane Battier, who played for Duke for four years before embarking on a 13-year career in the NBA.
Battier wore the number 31 jersey, which he chose after visiting Cameron Indoor Stadium as a junior at Detroit Country Day School. He recalled that the only two things lit up in the stadium were the banners and the jerseys. He noticed the numbers 32, 33, and 35 were already taken by other Duke basketball legends, so he decided to "'close off the 30s'" and chose 31.
Battier's number 31 jersey now hangs in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium, a testament to his impact on Duke's basketball program. He helped lead Duke to three national championships (1991, 1992, and 2001) during the most successful 16-season stretch in the program's history. This included nine Final Four appearances and numerous individual accolades for Battier, including being named a three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year and receiving the Naismith Award.
After his time at Duke, Battier went on to have a successful NBA career, playing for 13 years with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and the Miami Heat. He won two NBA championships and was known for his defensive skills, earning two All-Defensive selections.
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Danny Ferry wore No. 35
Ferry's No. 35 jersey was retired in 1989 at the end of his senior season, and it remained out of circulation for almost three decades. However, in 2017, Duke reintroduced the jersey, and it was worn by Duke's newest signee, Marvin Bagley III. Ferry was comfortable with this decision, stating that the needs of the program came before his personal feelings about the jersey. He also noted that with so many retired jerseys, it was going to be an issue for the school at some level, and he was happy to help continue the great tradition of Duke basketball.
After his collegiate career, Ferry was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round (second overall pick) of the 1989 NBA draft. However, he chose to play for the Italian league's Il Messaggero (now Virtus Roma) instead. Ferry played one season in Italy before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he spent most of his NBA career. He was known for his three-point shooting and won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2002-03 season before retiring.
Ferry then transitioned into executive roles in the NBA, serving as vice president of basketball operations for the Spurs and as general manager for the Atlanta Hawks and the Cavaliers. However, he encountered controversy in 2014 when he read aloud a racist comment about Miami Heat player Luol Deng during a conference call. Ferry took a leave of absence, and an independent investigation concluded that his actions were not motivated by racism.
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Frequently asked questions
Duke University has retired 13 jerseys, the most out of any Division I program.
The retired jersey numbers include #25, #31, #32, #33, and #35.
Some of the players who wore the retired jerseys include Art Heyman (#25), Shane Battier (#31), Christian Laettner (#32), Grant Hill (#33), and Danny Ferry (#35).
To have their jersey number retired at Duke University, a player must graduate from the university and be recognized at the national level, such as being named National Player of the Year or Defensive Player of the Year, setting an NCAA record, or being named an All-American.
