More than just a number: Unicaja’s shirt numbers

The Unicaja squad now has all its shirt numbers allocated for the new season. Idols, coincidences and a few secrets that’ll give you a closer look at each player… We’ll tell you what’s behind each choice!

 

#0 Tyson Pérez: Although this will be his third season with Unicaja, Tyson Pérez had never revealed the reason behind his shirt number, and the explanation is simpler than it seems: “When I arrived, #1 was taken, so I went for #0 and I’ve been happy with it.”

 

 #3 Yannick Nzosa: The young talent has decided to switch from #33 to #3 on his return to Málaga, drawing on a Spanish proverb: “I’ve chosen #3 because of that saying, ‘third time lucky’.”

 

#4 Tyler Kalinoski: The shooting guard looks back to his childhood to recall the memory behind his shirt number. “A friend and I were invited to join a higher-level basketball team at secondary school. But they’d already had the shirts made and there were only two numbers left: #4 and #55. So we settled it with a game of rock, paper, scissors… and I won,” he recalls with a laugh.

 

#7 Jonathan Barreiro: Now in his sixth season in Málaga, the Galician small forward is once again wearing a shirt number he likes: “When I joined Real Madrid’s youth academy, I wanted the #14, but it was taken in Zaragoza, so I went for the #7, which I like and has brought me luck so far. That’s why I wear it.”

 

#8 Ignas Brazdeikis: In the case of the Lithuanian-Canadian small forward, it seems that rather than him choosing the number, the number chose him: “I first picked it because Kobe Bryant wore it when I started playing. Also because my brother was born on 8 December, I was born on 8 January and I got married on the 8th.”

 

#9 Alberto Díaz: Our captain continues to keep things under wraps and won’t reveal his choice of shirt number.

 

#13 Simonas Lukošius: We’ve seen ‘Simas’ wearing #41 for other teams, but at Unicaja he’ll be wearing #13 for a family reason: “My father was born on the 13th, I was also born on 13 August, and as a child that was the number I used to wear. So it was an easy choice.”

 

#14 Nihad Djedovic: ‘Djedo’ says there’s no special reason behind his choice, other than that “I’ve always played with the number 14”, a number he likes.

 

#17 Amine Noua: The French power forward, like many of his teammates, also cites family reasons. In this case, it’s because of his daughter, “who was born on the 17th of the month; what’s more, my wife was born on the 1st and I was born on 7 February. It’s the perfect number for me.”

 

#19 Melwin Pantzar: Pantzar’s story is a prime example of those instances where, by a twist of fate, you’re given a number and grow so attached to it that you never want to let it go: “It was the number I was given when I arrived in Spain, and I’m going to try to stick with #19 for the rest of my life.”

 

#24 Cameron Hunt: Our childhood idols leave their mark on the way we play, dress and even speak. And for Hunt, his idol made him fall in love with a particular number: “I wear #24 because of Kobe Bryant; he’s been my favourite player since I was a child and has always been with me.”

 

#41 Willy Hernangómez: The centre is used to wearing number 41 – he wore it in the NBA and at Real Madrid – and says, “It’s a very special number; 41 is a number that means a lot in my life and in my family. We’ve all worn it many times, and above all, my brother and sister wear it. The fact that the three of us are wearing the same number and surname this year is a source of pride for our family. We’ll definitely hang all three shirts up together.”

 

#45 David Kravish: The centre is sticking with his shirt number, which pays tribute to one of his idols and his roots: “I chose it because of Michael Jordan. I’m from Chicago, and when he came back to play basketball after retiring, he wore the #45.”

 

 #55 Kendrick Perry: The Montenegrin international point guard also has a story of admiration behind his shirt number: “My favourite number is #3, but when I arrived at Nizhni Novgorod it was taken, and one of my favourite players is Jason ‘White Chocolate’ Williams. So #55 is my way of paying tribute to him.’

 

14 shirt numbers and 14 stories make up this new Unicaja, which is now ready for the start of the new 2026–27 season.