Why Did Georges Niang Pick No. 32?

Georges Niang might have picked No. 32 as a nod to his former coach, Fred Hoiberg.

We got our first glimpse of what Georges Niang will look like in uniform on Tuesday when he addressed the media for the first time as a member of the Indiana Pacers.

So what number will be on the back of his jersey?

That would be No. 32.

So other than the fact his college number of 31 was retired by Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller, why did Niang pick No. 32?

Niang said picking 32 was just adding one to the number he wore at Iowa State since he’s taking a step forward in his career, but Aaron Young of the Des Moines Register has an alternate theory.

"Out with the old and in with the new, Niang will trade in his No. 31 that he wore during his four years at ISU and wear No. 32, the same number that former Iowa State player and coach Fred Hoiberg, who just completed his first season as the Chicago Bulls’ head coach, wore during his own Cyclone career.We’ll go with Niang’s reasoning for why he’s 31 +1’ing his uniform number, but it sure does seem like he’s paying some type of tribute to “The Mayor.”Keep in mind, too, that Hoiberg was drafted by Indiana with the 52nd pick in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft. Bragging rights go to Niang, as he was drafted last Thursday by the Pacers with the 50th pick in the second round. Hoiberg wore No. 20 when he played for the Pacers, but went back to No. 32 when he played for the Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves."

Niang has referred to Hoiberg as a father-figure before, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he was giving a nod to his former coach.

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Hoiberg coached at Iowa State from 2010-2015, having Niang under his wing for three of the player’s four years as a Cyclone. Hoiberg missed out on Niang’s senior year when he took over the Chicago Bulls last season, coaching them to a 42-40 record and nearly made the playoffs.

Regardless of the exact reasoning, Niang is confident he’ll be wearing the No. 32 for a while and that he won’t be another 2nd round draft pick that drifts out of the league. According to the Indy Star’s Nate Taylor, Georges plans on doing that by using his basketball IQ and versatility to make up for a lack of size.

"With confidence, Niang said he would find ways to be a effective performer. He mentioned how his production improved throughout his four years at Iowa State.Niang’s logic was simple: He overcame his limitations as a senior to average 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, so why can’t he be a contributor for the Pacers?“I don’t think it’s tough to persevere,” he said. “The people that are saying those things are allowed to have their own thoughts. If they want to lace up and play one-on-one, then they can, you know, come here and play. The biggest thing is my basketball IQ allows me to know the scouting report and the schemes up and down, so I can be in the right spots rather than being an athletic figure and just depend on my athleticism.”"

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If Niang is as talented and smart as he is confident, then we all might have to get used to him wearing that No. 32 jersey.