After wearing No. 6 last season at Washington, forward Hannes Steinbach will have a new look on the court for his upcoming rookie campaign with the Charlotte Hornets.
Steinbach also wore that number while representing Germany, including a gold-medal effort in the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket. He is forced to change his number upon joining the Hornets, since the NBA has retired No. 6 league-wide to honor the late Hall of Famer Bill Russell.
The 14th overall pick ultimately chose to wear No. 22 with the Hornets because he previously had it at a young age in Europe. While Washington retired No. 22 to honor German legend Detlef Schrempf, Steinbach didn't necessarily pick it because of him.
“I definitely think it’s cool I took the same number that (Detlef) had,” Steinbach told Sam Perley of Hornets.com. “It wasn’t really on my mind when I picked it. I had No. 22 one year when I was playing in Germany, so I was like ‘Yeah, I already had No. 22 once, so why not take it again?’”
Steinbach was a third-team All-Big Ten selection last season, averaging 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 34% from 3-point range. He was the first Husky freshman to earn an all-conference nod since Isaiah Stewart (2021).
The 6-foot-11 Steinbach led the country in rebounding and was tied for the most double-doubles with 22, one shy of the program record (Jon Brockman). He set the Big Ten double-double record for a freshman and had the most overall since Zach Edey (30).
Steinbach debuted with the Hornets in summer league, averaging 15.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 50% from 3-point range. He showcased his overall skill set during his stint in Las Vegas and should be in store for a productive rookie year.
Throughout August, Rookie Wire is looking at every first-round pick and why each player selected their respective jersey number as they make the jump to the NBA
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets' Hannes Steinbach picks past jersey number to start NBA career