The Philadelphia 76ers selected University of Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Philon is a high-upside player who should help to fill out the backcourt in Philadelphia. But, he’s going to have to wear a different number than he wore in college.
Labaron Philon Jr. Will Wear No. 00 with Philadelphia 76ers
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Labaron Philon Jr. after he is drafted twenty-second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Philon wore No. 0 during his two seasons at the University of Alabama, but that number is already occupied in Philadelphia by star guard Tyrese Maxey. So, Philon was forced to pivot.
On social media, Philon revealed that he will be wearing No. 00 for the 76ers.
Philon will become the ninth player in franchise history to wear the No. 00. The last player to sport the number was Reggie Jackson during the 2024-25 NBA season. Other Sixers players to wear the number include Willie Cauley-Stein, Corey Brewer, Jacob Pullen, Spencer Hawes, Amal McCaskill, Eric Montross and Benoit Benjamin.
Labaron Philon Jr. Optimistic About Fit with Tyrese Maxey
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: Labaron Philon Jr. poses on the red carpet prior to Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Philon and Maxey can’t share a number, but they will share the court together in Philadelphia, and Philon is excited about the pairing, as he thinks he’ll fit in nicely alongside Maxey and second-year guard V.J. Edgecombe.
“I would just say, just watching a lot of basketball, me personally, I feel like being selected by Philly, it’s destined,” Philon said of his fit with the Sixers. “Just because they got two good guards, and I feel like I fit in with those guards, and playing at that fast pace, and at that level of basketball.”
Philon thinks his ability to play both on and off-ball roles will make his fit alongside a ball-dominant guard like Maxey a smooth one.
“I would just say the ability to play on and off the ball, make the game easy for others around you,” Philon said. “I feel like I did that at a high level, and then just being able to play with that unselfishness, and just being able to score what you need to, being able to pass the ball, and like I said, having that mentality to do it on both sides of the ball.”
Look out, league. The No. 0 and 00 combination could be a problem next season.
Labaron Philon Jr.’s Jersey Number with Philadelphia 76ers Revealed