by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 18, 2023

Lebron James Switches Up Jersey No. 6 For No. 23 In Honor of Bill Russell

The NBA’s All-Time scorer has not only decided to return for a 21st season, he has announced that he will no longer be wearing the No. 6.

According to NBA.com, in a move to give recognition to one of the greatest players in NBA history, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will return to wearing the number of his idol, Michael Jordan (No. 23). James currently wears No. 6, the number of the legendary Bill Russell, who died in 2022. After his death, the National Basketball Association retired Russell’s number across the league. No team will be allowed to assign the No. 6 to any player.

In recognition of Russell, James has decided to wear the number he came into the league with, 23. Rich Paul, James’ agent, told ESPN that James decided to switch out of respect for Russell.

Coincidentally, James’ son, Bronny, who will be playing at the University of Southern California beginning in the fall of 2023, recently announced he was wearing No. 6, following in his father’s footsteps.

The future NBA Hall of Famer famously wore No. 23 for the Cleveland Cavaliers when he entered the league because of his love for his idol, Jordan, who wore that number when he played with the Chicago Bulls. Yet, when he went to the Miami Heat for the 2010–11 season, he switched to No. 6.

Sports Illustrated previously reported that James shared why he switched to the No. 6.

“Why I wear number six, there are multiple reasons,” James said, “One, because 23 is one of my favorite numbers as well, so two times three is six. … Also, my first son was born on October 6. … My youngest son [Bryce] is June 14th, the sixth month of the year. Six has always been with me ever since I was a kid for some reason, especially when it relates to my family.”

We will see if the number change will be a positive thing when he suits up for the Lakers later this year.


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