The University of Washington officially honored basketball legend Detlef Schrempf by retiring his No. 22 jersey, which was raised into the rafters of Alaska Airlines Arena to celebrate his outstanding collegiate career from 1981 to 1985.
Schrempf’s jersey retirement placed him among other Huskies basketball greats, including Brandon Roy, Isaiah Thomas, Bob Houbregs, and Christian Welp, recognizing his lasting impact on the program. University athletic officials emphasized that the history of Washington basketball cannot be told without Schrempf and Welp, noting their role as international basketball pioneers and their contributions to the global growth of the sport.
As part of the celebration, fans received replica jersey towels, while the first 2,500 attendees at the home game against Wisconsin were given Schrempf bobbleheads to commemorate the honor. During his junior and senior seasons, Schrempf led the Huskies in scoring, rebounding, and assists, averaging 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the field, earning two Pac-10 All-Conference selections.
He finished his Washington career with 1,449 points, ranking 18th in program history, before being selected eighth overall in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Schrempf later spent six seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics and enjoyed a 16-year NBA career highlighted by two Sixth Man of the Year awards, becoming the first European player to appear in an NBA All-Star Game and earning All-NBA Third Team honors in 1995.
Inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 1995, Schrempf is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Washington basketball uniform.
