LeBron James will continue to chase Michael Jordan’s legacy next season, but he’ll do it without the iconic No. 23 on his chest and back.
The Lakers announced James would change his jersey to No. 6 next season, a return to the number he wore in his seasons with the Miami Heat.
James originally intended to change jersey numbers after the Lakers added Anthony Davis — who wore No. 23 with New Orleans then switched to No. 3, which he’ll keep — but issues with a league-wide deadline and pre-printed Nike jerseys with James’ name and number forced the delay.
The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. James averaged 25 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season in 45 games. The scoring average was the second lowest in his career, trailing only his rookie season.
James can also be seen wearing No. 6 on his uniform in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which comes out this summer.
