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LeBron James will switch from Lakers number 6 to number 23 this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed on Saturday that NBA superstar LeBron James will wear jersey number 23 once again.
James has sported the No. 6 jersey for the last two seasons with the Lakers. James has worn the No. 23 jersey in 14 of his 20 NBA seasons.
Why LeBron James is switching from number 6 to 23
Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul, James’ longtime friend told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “It’s LeBron’s decision.
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“He chose to out of respect for Bill Russell.”
Russell, a five-time NBA MVP and 11-time champion with the Boston Celtics, passed away on July 31, 2022, at the age of 88.
The Hall of Famer's No. 6 would be retired league-wide after his passing, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said, adding that players who wore the number at the time would be permitted to keep doing so.
After the 2022–23 season, James had already told ESPN in September that he was thinking about making a shift.
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LeBron James using number 6 and 23
Having been selected first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, he wore No. 23 when he first entered the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He also wore No. 6 when representing Team USA in international events.
When he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, James the NBA's all-time leading scorer switched to No. 6, but for his second stint in Cleveland beginning in 2014, he went back to No. 23.
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He wore No. 23 when he first signed with the Lakers in 2018 before changing it back to No. 6 in 2021.
The four-time NBA champion's uniform was the top-selling item in the league on NBAStore in the second half of the previous campaign.
James, who recently said at the ESPYS awards that he is not retiring, will aim to win another NBA Championship with the Lakers.
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