LeBron James has chosen his number for his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, announcing via Twitter on Sunday that he will wear No. 23, which is the number he sported for his first seven seasons with the team.
That means he's leaving behind No. 6, which he wore during four seasons for the Miami Heat.
Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
In his Twitter post, James indicated that he still had allegiance to his No. 6, pointing out that two times three equals six.
Some basketball fans didn’t like the fact that James chose to return to 23 because that was Michael Jordan’s number during his career. But
Jordan told ESPN, "I'm cool with it. I don't own a number."
When James initially made the switch to No. 6 in 2009, he said he was doing it as a tribute to Jordan.
"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon," James, who wore No. 23 in high school, told ESPN at the time. "I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."
Obviously, his feelings about that have changed. James asked fans to help him choose a number, but there’s no word on whether he went with 23 because that was the popular choice or not. Many went online to show their support of his decision.
“Wear what ever # you want I support you no matter what LBJ 4 life,” one person wrote on
James’ Instagram account.
The Washington Post had a unique take on James’ choice, examining which number led to the best stats in the player’s career. The determination: In his advanced stats, James was "far more efficient offensively in that No. 6 jersey."
Urgent: Assess Your Heart Attack Risk in Minutes. Click Here.
Related Stories:
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.