USA Basketball officials said that Raptors F Vince
Carter "hasn't called them to voice any displeasure about
being issued" the No. 9 jersey -- the same number worn by
Michael Jordan in the '84 and '92 Olympics -- for the
upcoming Sydney Games, according to CNNSI.com's Marty Burns,
who noted that Carter "dislikes the constant comparisons" to
Jordan. Carter reportedly "was going to talk to" Pistons F
Grant Hill about "trading jerseys," but USA Basketball exec
Craig Miller said that "even if Hill agreed, ... marketing
concerns might prevent" the organization from allowing the
switch, as, for example, "some players have already been
photographed" in their jerseys for "commercial purposes."
Burns wrote, "For the record, Miller says Carter got the No.
9 jersey only after it had been previously assigned to [Suns
F] Tom Gugliotta, whose injury opened the way for Carter to
be selected to the team." Burns added that USA Basketball
had "no other choice," as Olympic rules "only allow jersey
numbers to run from No. 4 to No. 15" (CNNSI.com, 4/11).
