NBA star LeBron James will switch his jersey number back to 23 for the upcoming season, his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, confirmed on Sunday.
”It’s official. 23 is back,” the Lakers tweeted, accompanied by a picture of James sporting the gold and purple jersey with No. 23 printed on the back.
James will drop the No. 6 jersey out of respect for NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell, who died in July last year, according to a report by ESPN.
To honor Russell’s life and legacy, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced in August 2022 that the Boston Celtics legend’s No. 6 jersey would not be issued again to any player.
James wore No. 23 when he made his NBA debut in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and has since alternated between No. 23 and No. 6.
Last week, the four-time NBA champion said that he would not retire from professional basketball anytime soon.
”I still got something left. A lot left,” said James, who will turn 39 in December.
