LeBron James will reportedly switch from No. 23 to No. 6 next season

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Anthony Davis in 2019, LeBron James gave his new teammate a welcoming gift: the No. 23.

James wore the No. 23 in his first season with the Lakers and in all but four seasons of his career to that date, but he knew that Davis liked the No. 23 too, so his plan was to let Davis have No. 23 and for him switch to No. 6, the number he wore with the Miami Heat and the number he wears during practice.

Unfortunately, due to a manufacturing dispute with Nike, that swap never happened; according to a report from Shams Charania and Tim Cato The Athletic, it likely never will. While James will reportedly switch to the No. 6 next season, Davis will stick with the No. 3, the number he won his first championship in:

Now, you’re probably wondering: if Davis isn’t changing to No. 23, why is James changing his number at all? It’s a fair question, and the answer probably has something to do with the fact that he’s going to wear No. 6 in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which is set to hit theaters before the start of the 2021-22 season.

It’s a silly reason, for sure, but it’s still going to be cool to see James donning the No. 6 on the court again regardless of the reason behind it. However, it could create a good problem for the Lakers in the not-too-distant future.

If James wins another championship with the Lakers wearing No. 6, do they retire that number, the number he won his first championship with, or both? Additionally, if he wins two championships wearing No. 6, does that outweigh the one he won as No. 23?

Hopefully that’s a headache the Lakers have to deal with down the line.

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