LeBron James, an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, has worn two different jersey numbers throughout his career. He initially wore the number 23, which he had previously worn in his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and during his time with Team USA in international competitions
. However, when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, James switched to the number 6 due to the organization having retired the No. 23 in honor of Michael Jordan
. After returning to the Cavaliers in 2014, James opted to revert back to the No. 23, which he wore until after his third season with the Lakers in 2021
. In the 2023-2024 season, LeBron James decided to switch back to the number 23 for the Los Angeles Lakers
. This decision was made out of respect for the late Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion and five-time NBA MVP, whose number 6 was retired by the NBA after his death
. James had previously worn the number 23 with the Lakers from 2018 to 2021
