Why did Michael Jordan choose the #9 jersey when he played for the U.S. basketball team at the 1984 LA Olympics (and again in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics)?

Under international rules, he couldn't wear his college/pro number 23, because numbers above 15 were not permitted. As Wiki puts it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_%28sports%29#Basketball

"Up to 2014, players in FIBA-organized competitions for national teams, including the Olympic Games, World Cup and Women's World Championship, had to wear numbers from 4 to 15."

SO that explains why not #23. But why 9? Because Michael's older brother wore #45 when they played together in high school, and 4+5=9. In fact, that's when Michael picked #23, because it was approximately half of 45.

http://solecollector.com/news/2015/03/why-michael-jordan-wore-the-number-45

"Jordan explained in his autobiography that the 45 also played a role in his Olympic number nine. Jersey numbers on Olympic basketball teams only go up to 15, so Jordan came to the number nine by adding four and five together."

By the way, just as a throw-in for those of you who wonder why you never heard of Michaal Jordan's one-year-older brother Larry, he's only 5'8" tall. When Michael famously failed to make his high school team as a sophomore, he was around Larry's height -- and Larry was the star of the team. Then Michael had a significant growth spurt, ending up at 6'6", which made all the difference in his basketball future compared to Larry's.

Michael Jordan chose the #9 jersey for his Olympic runs because of strict international rules paired with a personal tribute to his brother's jersey number. During both the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, FIBA (the international governing body for basketball) mandated that all national teams use only numbers 4 through 15. This rule was implemented to make it easier for referees to communicate fouls using their fingers. Because referees used one, two, or three fingers to signify points scored (like free throws or three-pointers), jersey numbers 1, 2, and 3 were banned to avoid confusion. Consequently, Jordan was strictly forbidden from wearing his iconic #23. Since his preferred #23 was off the table, Jordan selected 9 as a mathematical nod to his childhood hero: his older brother, Larry. Growing up, Larry wore #45 while playing varsity basketball at Laney High School. Michael idolized his brother and initially wanted to wear 45 as well. When they were on the same team, Michael had to choose a different number, famously deciding to cut 45 roughly in half, rounding up to 23. When forced to choose a number under 15 for Team USA, Jordan went back to that foundational #45. In his 1998 autobiography, For the Love of the Game, Jordan explained: "I wore the number nine in the Olympics because it was four and five added together." He wore the number so successfully during the 1984 gold-medal run that he requested it again eight years later when anchoring the legendary 1992 "Dream Team".