USC Basketball: Trojans Reporter Unpacks Significance Of DJ Rodman's Jersey Number Choice

He raises an interesting point.

Incoming USC transfer DJ Rodman, son of former NBA Hall of Famer Dennis and brother of current NWSL forward Trinity, is set to don the No. 10 jersey worn by current Chicago Bulls All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan, despite that number having been hung in the rafters of Galen Center since 2020.

Inside USC blogger Scott Wolf unpacks the significance of the Trojans opting to un-retire the jersey number of the 2009 Pac-10 Tournament MVP.

DeRozan, a Compton native, was a one-and-done college player who was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in a historic 2009 draft. MVPs Stephen Curry (the seventh pick) and James Harden (the third pick), plus six-time All-Star Blake Griffin (the first pick) number among the other potential Hall of Famers, along with DeRozan, to have been selected in that top 10.

As Wolf notes, DeRozan isn't even the only ex-USC star whose No. 10 jersey had ostensibly been retired. Two-time All-Star point guard Gus Williams, who won a title with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, ostensibly should have had dibs even prior to DeRozan wearing the digits.

Even after DeRozan's number was retired, guard Quinton Adlesh wore No. 10 in 2020, as well. Wolf adds that All-American USC shooting guard Harold Miner (who suited up for the Trojans from 1989-1992), whose No. 23 jersey had been retired by the club in 2012, saw his number unceremoniously un-retired when it was worn by USC forward Max Agbonkpolo during the 2019-20 season. Another USC All-American, Bill Sharman, had his retired No. 11 jersey later worn by Trojan-turned-Minnesota Timberwolves reserve point guard Jordan McLaughlin.

Is USC jersey retirement a farce? Why even go through the motions of this charade if the process isn't ever intended to stick?