LeBron James will wear No. 23 again in the next NBA season

LeBron James will wear jersey number 23, as announced by the LA Lakers’ official Twitter account. However, James has a history of swapping numbers, going back to his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron wore the #23 when he first entered the NBA, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he was compelled to change jersey numbers when he joined the Miami Heat since the latter elected to retire the #23 in honor of the famous Michael Jordan.

James first wore the #6 after joining the Heat, but when he returned to the Cavaliers for his second tenure, he changed it back to the #23 jersey.

LeBron James joined the LA Lakers and wore the number 23 until he made the decision to give it up in favor of Anthony Davis. The NBA decided to stop new players from selecting the #6 choice after switching back to it after Bill Russell’s passing in 2022, therefore preserving his legacy. Since Anthony Davis now wears the #3 jersey, he will return to wearing the number 23.

One of the best basketball players of all time is said to be Bill Russell. The center was a frequent champion and well-known for his defensive prowess. The guy had only ever played for the Boston Celtics, for whom he won 11 NBA titles. Additionally, he brought home a gold medal for the USA in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

LeBron is not required to remove the jersey, but he chose to do it instead since the NBA made the historic decision to retire the uniform for all teams. The NBA has said that it is OK for current players to wear the number 23 on their uniforms. Just that new players won’t be able to wear it anymore.

According to Rich Paul, his agent, who was mentioned by ESPN, the decision to swap teams was made out of respect for Bill Russell.

James won a championship with the Lakers while wearing the #23 and he’ll want to do the same in the next campaign. On the ESPY award ceremony broadcast, he dispelled the retirement rumors by announcing that he would participate in the next season.