When LeBron James made his move from Cleveland to Los Angeles, he didn’t have to give up the No. 23 like when he went to the Miami Heat in 2010.
James’ Lakers jersey flew off the shelves in L.A. and around the world, but next year, that will be an outdated jersey. There’s been a bunch of speculation about what number Anthony Davis would wear with the Lakers next year, since 23 was occupied by James, but it turns out LeBron will be the one making a switch.
On the same day it was announced Davis is foregoing his $4 million trade kicker to open up max space for the Lakers this summer in free agency, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports LeBron is gifting the No. 23 to his new teammate and Space Jam 2 co-star. Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times confirmed Haynes’ report.
Can also confirm @ChrisBHaynes report that LeBron James is giving his new teammate Anthony Davis No. 23.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) June 27, 2019
While it’s not totally known just yet, one would assume James will be going back to the No. 6 he wore in Miami and wore during practices with the Lakers last season.
It’s a nice gesture from James, who is going out of his way to make sure Davis feels welcome and at home in L.A. so that he stays long term. It’s also going to be a huge plus for business for the Lakers and the NBA as they now get to sell not only new Davis jerseys, but also a new LeBron jersey that will surely be popular.
