34 (number) - in Sports

In Sports

• The jersey number 34 has been retired by several North American sports teams in honor of past playing greats or other key figures:
  • In Major League Baseball:
    • The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, both for Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.
    • The Minnesota Twins, for Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett.
    • The Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers, both for Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers.
    • Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers have not issued the number since the departure of Fernando Valenzuela following the 1990 season. Under current team policy, Valenzuela's number is not eligible for retirement because he is not in the Hall of Fame.
  • In the NBA:
    • The Houston Rockets, for Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.
    • The Los Angeles Lakers have announced they will retire the number for likely future Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal on April 2, 2013.
  • In the NFL:
    • The Chicago Bears, for Hall of Famer Walter Payton.
    • The Houston Oilers, for Hall of Famer Earl Campbell. The franchise continues to honor the number in its current incarnation as the Tennessee Titans.