LeBron James’ next jersey number with the 76ers is still up in the air, but the options are already starting to narrow.
After signing a two-year deal with Philadelphia, the 41-year-old now has to sort out one more detail before his 24th season begins: whether he stays with the number that has followed him most of his career, or goes in a different direction for his new stop.
No announcement has come yet on what James will wear with the 76ers. No. 23 is open, after Tyrese Martin wore it in his brief stint with the team this past season before agreeing to an international deal with Barcelona.
That would fit the pattern. James has worn No. 23 in 17 of his 23 NBA seasons, and it has been the more familiar look for him in recent years. He started his career in No. 23, switched to No. 6 in Miami, went back to No. 23 in Cleveland, and used both numbers during his eight seasons with the Lakers.
No. 6, though, looks far less likely. The NBA retired it leaguewide in 2022 in honor of Bill Russell. Players already wearing it were allowed to keep it, and James did so for a time, but he moved back to No. 23 in 2023 because it was too close to the season to make the switch after the retirement went into effect.
Even if a technical path back to No. 6 existed, James has made clear how he feels about Russell, which makes that choice hard to picture.
So No. 23 feels like the safest bet. Still, James entered this offseason looking for a fresh start, and that leaves the door open for a surprise.
Here’s how his number history has played out:
James came into the league wearing No. 23 as a tribute to Michael Jordan, who had just retired for the third and final time. He kept that number through his first run with the Cavaliers.
2010-14: No. 6
When he left for Miami in “The Decision,” James made his first jersey change and wore No. 6 for all four seasons with the Heat. He won two championships in that number.
2014-21: No. 23
Back in Cleveland, James returned to No. 23 and wore it throughout his second stint with the Cavaliers, winning a championship with it for the first time. When he joined the Lakers in 2018, he stayed with No. 23 for his first three seasons there.
2021-23: No. 6
James had worn No. 6 on a practice jersey early in his Lakers years, then officially switched back to it in 2021. He had tried to change numbers with Anthony Davis after the Lakers traded for Davis in 2019, but the NBA blocked it because of concerns about wasted inventory. Davis was already settled in at No. 3 by the time James made the move, and James said part of the reason for the change was to honor Bill Russell and Julius Erving.
2023-26: No. 23
Once No. 6 was retired across the league for Russell, James had the chance to keep wearing it but chose to return to No. 23 in 2023 out of respect for the NBA legend.
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