'How I go from 6 to 23 like I'm LeBron'- Lakers superstar endorses final jersey number switch on Twitter with Drake lyrics
LeBron James is going to change his jersey number yet again. The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Saturday that James will go from number 6 to number 23 for the upcoming season.
LeBron James endorsed this jersey number switch on Twitter by quote-tweeting a LA Lakers tweet. James, who has been a friend of Drake since their BlackBerry Messenger days, appreciated the Drake Lyrics in the tweet and responded with a crown emoji.
"How I go from 6 to 23 like I'm LeBron?"
twitter.com/lakers/status/…
👑 twitter.com/lakers/status/…
James is a long-term fan and friend of Drake and it is interesting that Drake's lyrics have come to life with the jersey number switch.
Why did LeBron James change his jersey number from 6 to 23?
Bill Russell is an NBA legend with an all-time great 11 NBA championships. There is absolutely no doubt that he is one of the greatest players to have ever lived and originally popularized the iconic number 6 jersey. Unfortunately, Russell passed away last year on 31st July 2023.
Following the news of Russell passing away, the NBA retired his number 6 league-wide.
The NBA will retire the No. 6 league-wide honoring the late, legendary player and activist Bill Russell.
That said, players who were already wearing his number would be allowed to do so. However, teams were restricted from issuing it to future players.
Players who currently wear No. 6 – such as Lakers‘ LeBron James – will be grandfathered. twitter.com/ShamsCharania/…
When LeBron James was asked what it means to be one of the last players to be wearing the number 6 jersey, here is what he had to say:
"It's pretty cool, and for me to continue and live on his legacy wearing 6 this year, to continue to honor his legacy."
LeBron will be one of the last players to wear No. 6, retired for Bill Russell:“It was always a treat seeing him at games, having an opportunity to win championships, see him up on the panel and give me the Bill Russell Award was one of the most delightful moments of my career.” https://t.co/096IT3ABhz
This offseason though, James has changed his mind and will change his jersey number to 23. James' agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul has this to say about James' jersey number change:
"It's LeBron's decision. He chose to out of respect for Bill Russell."
James did originally wear the number 23 when he entered the league. However, he switched to number 6 when he made the 'The Decision' to go to Miami. A few years later, when he returned to Cleveland, it made sense for James to pick up where he left off and thus switched back to number 23.
James eventually joined the Lakers in 2018 and only switched to number 6 in 2021, which he wore for two years.
Being the humble man that James is, it is no surprise that he is paying his respects to Bill Russell. However, this did not stop critics from throwing shade at James.
I believe LeBron will change back to No. 23 for 2 reasons: 1) to honor Bill Russell and 2) to resend the absurd message he's now, as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, the GOAT, better than Jordan. Only fools believe that. LeBron James wearing 23 is a disgrace.
Since Michael Jordan originally wore the number 23, there have always been haters questioning James and his number 23. That said, James' legacy is far greater than any jersey number that he could wear. After all, it's James who gives meaning to the jersey number and not the other way around.