LOS ANGELES – Not only is LeBron James returning for his 21st season, he’s also coming back in his original jersey number.
James will do it Return to No. 23 next seasona move the Los Angeles Lakers revealed on Saturday by tweeting a picture of his back showing James’ name and number on the gold jersey.
James alternated between No. 23 and No. 6 after wearing 23 when he entered the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He was ranked 6th and became the NBA’s career leading scorer last season, a number now retired by the league following the death of Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Russell.
Rich Paul, James’ agent, told ESPN that James made the decision to make the switch out of respect for Russell.
James said Wednesday during the Transmission of the ESPY Awards that he would continue to play in the next season.
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