Sports

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The Best Athletes Who Wore #42

Updated September 24, 2019 1.1k votes 181 voters 8.8k views30 items

List RulesVote up the top athletes who wore 42 for at least one professional season

Many famous athletes who wore 42 as their jersey number created long-lasting legacies and brilliant highlights associated with the number. MLB retired the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson as an appreciation for his work breaking down barriers in sports and society. Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera was the last baseball player to wear 42. Players in other sports still can wear 42, and there are top names with the jersey number both retired and still active today.

Some of the top basketball players who wore 42 include James Worthy, Kevin Love and Connie Hawkins. Standout football players with number 42 jerseys are Ronnie Lott, Gerald Riggs, and Paul Warfield, who all rocked the jersey in the NFL. With all these great athletes, jersey number 42 rightly has become associated with sports greatness.

So check out the list of athletes who wore 42 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. Vote up your favorite athletes to wear the number 42, then head over and check out some other iconic jersey numbers, including the best players to wear No. 23.

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1
Jackie Robinson
League: MLB
Years active: 1947-1956
Stats: .311 batting average, 137 home runs, 734 RBIs

Career Highlights
- Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame (1962)
- 6× All-Star (1949–1954)
- World Series champion (1955)
- NL MVP (1949)
- MLB Rookie of the Year (1947)
- Age: Dec. at 53 (1919-1972)
- Birthplace: Cairo, Georgia, United States of America
- Team: Brooklyn Dodgers
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Photo: Steve Jennings / Getty Images
2
Ronnie Lott
League: NFL
Years active: 1981-1994
Stats: 192 games played, 63 interceptions, 5 touchdowns

Career Highlights
- 4× Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
- 10× Pro Bowl (1981–1984, 1986–1991)
- 8× First-team All-Pro (1981, 1983, 1986–1991)
- Age: 60
- Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- Team: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets
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Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-SA-2.0
3
Mariano Rivera
League: MLB
Years active: 1995-2012
Stats: 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1,173 strikeouts

Career Highlights
- Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame (2019)
- 13× All-Star (1997, 1999–2002, 2004–2006, 2008–2011, 2013)
- 5× World Series champion (1996, 1998–2000, 2009)
- World Series MVP (1999)
- ALCS MVP (2003)
- 5× AL Rolaids Relief Man Award (1999, 2001, 2004–2005, 2009)
- Age: 50
- Birthplace: Panama City, Panama
- Team: New York Yankees
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons
4
James Worthy
League: NBA
Years active: 1983-1994
Stats: 926 games played, 17.6 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists

Career Highlights
- 3× NBA champion (1985, 1987, 1988)
- NBA Finals MVP (1988)
- 7× NBA All-Star (1986–1992)
- 2× All-NBA Third Team (1990, 1991)
- Age: 58
- Birthplace: Gastonia, North Carolina, United States of America
- Team: Los Angeles Lakers
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