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LeBron James will stop wearing number 6 for the Los Angeles Lakers, to return to his traditional number 23 next season out of respect to Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell who is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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LeBron will return to his iconic 23
According to Rich Paul, friend and former agent of 'King James', "LeBron's decision was out of respect for Bill Russell".
LeBron was among the last players in the NBA to wear the number 6, after the league retired the number 6 in memory of Bill Russell, who died in the summer of 2022 at the age of 88.
This announcement resulted in no remaining inventory of the Lakers' No. 6 jersey, as the NBA's release caused all available production to sell out and even James' jersey led all jersey sales during the second half of the 22-23 season.
"For us to lose that icon was heartbreaking," LeBron said upon learning of Bill Russell's death before the start of last season. "It doesn't matter if you're playing, watching the game, or a part of the game. We all know what Bill Russell meant to the NBA, obviously to the Celtics off the court as well, in terms of his heroism...and what he meant to African-Americans for being able to talk about issues that are not comfortable." He spoke.
Los Angeles Lakers make it official
"For me to be able to wear number 6 this season, I'm not sure if I'll continue to do that, but I'm going to wear it now in honor of him. It means a lot to me.
The legend of Bill Russell and the numbers of LeBron James
Russell was an 11-time champion with the Celtics, won the league's MVP award five times, was a 12-time All-Star player and became the first African-American coach in NBA history, and won his last two championships as Boston's player-coach. As a result, he is considered the ultimate winner of the sport in the U.S., and the NBA Finals MVP trophy is named after him.
