It’s the biggest return of LeBron James’ career. Well, OK, maybe not the biggest, but it’s always notable when one of the league’s biggest stars changes his jersey number.
Ahead of his fourth season with the Lakers, James revealed that he would be ditching No. 23 in favor of No. 6. The four-time NBA MVP began his professional career with the Cavaliers wearing No. 23, then switched to No. 6 when he played for the Heat from 2010-14. After winning a couple of championships in Miami, James pulled out No. 23 for his second stint in Cleveland and stuck with it in Los Angeles.
So, what prompted James to bring back No. 6? And why is the number so significant to him?
The story behind LeBron James’ change to No. 6
James wanted to change his jersey number in 2019 when the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis from the Pelicans in a blockbuster trade. James even posted a photo of Davis holding a No. 23 jersey once the deal had been finalized. Davis had worn the number for his first seven NBA seasons.
Unfortunately for James and Davis, the swap had to wait because Nike, the official outfitter for the league, would have reportedly taken a “massive financial hit” because of the amount of apparel that had already been produced. With Nike not giving the Lakers stars the go-ahead signal, Davis landed on No. 3. (He chose to stick with that number after winning his first NBA championship in 2020.)
But James’ switch was always about more than just doing a favor to his teammate.
When asked about his thought process on shifting to No. 6, James told reporters last week that the number has “always been part of me.” His first child, Bronny, was born on Oct. 6, and his second child, Bryce, was born in June, the sixth month of the year. Beyond his personal connection, James has previously expressed his admiration for Julius Erving, who wore No. 6 with the 76ers.
“Six has a lot of meaning to me, not only from my family and numbers and things of that nature to what I believe in and things of that sort — but my mentality doesn’t change,” James said. “Going out, being an overall basketball player, trying to dominate at all facets of the game, being a great teammate and being a great leader.”
As The Athletic’s Tim Cato noted, the timing also matched up perfectly with the summer release of “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which featured James in a No. 6 Tune Squad jersey.
