What’s In A Number? This Time There Could Be 99 Reasons.
Will Xaivian Lee give up No. 1 after his big game in Nashville?
Athletes are notoriously superstitious. Some more than others. Some will even say, “No, I’m just comfortable with the same routine.” Sounds superstitious to me!
When it comes to the number on the jersey or uniform, there are as many reasons for the particular number on it as there are athletes. It might be what you were given in middle school or the number that your favorite athlete wore when they played. It might be your dad’s or mom’s old number. Or as one former Gator softball player’s reason for wearing #74, she and her dad’s favorite football player was Jack Youngblood.
So when they are forced to wear another number, it can be traumatic. Some even resort to paying other players to switch numbers.
This past Saturday in Nashville, three Gator basketball players were faced with just that situation. Guards Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland and post player Micah Handlogten donned new numbers for the game because their jerseys did not make the journey from Gainesville to Music City. I’m sure someone was in a lot of trouble for that mistake!
Handlogten may have been affected the most by the change, or he just had a bad day. He was mostly ineffective in 6 minutes of play. Fland tossed in 7 points but again was 0-2 from three-point land. Not the worst effort, but also not his best game. Whether it is the change of the number or just the change of the routine that the lost jerseys had to initiate, both players might want their original numbers on their backs as they head into the game against LSU.
Lee was quite another case.
Lee should keep #99! He arguably had his best game in a Gator uniform on Saturday. His 20 points tied with Ruben Chinyelu for team high. He was 3-7 from deep and 11-19 overall and made one of two free throws to keep the Gators in front of the Commodores. In addition, he pulled down 6 rebounds.
He looked his best ever wearing 99! But it appears that Lee isn’t impressed with the jersey number. He plans to return to wearing #1 on Tuesday night vs. LSU.
Coach Todd Golden says if “he (Lee) wants to continue to rock number 1, which again, I don’t care at all.” If he has a less than average night against the Tigers, Gator fans may be chanting “We want 99! We want 99!” in the O-Dome!
The number on the jersey doesn’t matter. Or does it? Only time and Lee’s shooting will tell!
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