Lakers' LeBron James to Wear No. 23 Instead of 6 Next Season to Respect Bill Russell

LeBron James is changing his number.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is switching from No. 6 back to No. 23 out of respect for Bill Russell, who had his No. 6 retired league-wide last summer.

"It's LeBron's decision," Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "He chose to out of respect for Bill Russell."

Russell, who died last summer at the age of 88, became the first player in NBA history to have his number retired league-wide. The Hall of Famer, who was also a dedicated human rights activist, spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics from 1956-1969, helping the franchise capture 11 NBA titles.

James was still allowed to wear the No. 6 last season as players wearing the number at the time were grandfathered in and could choose to continue wearing it.

James began his illustrious career wearing No. 23 from 2003-10 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then switched to No. 6 while playing for the Miami Heat from 2010-14.

After winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with the Heat, James returned to the Cavaliers and switched back to No. 23 from 2014-18. He stuck with No. 23 when he signed with the Lakers ahead of the 2018-19 season before switching to No. 6 in June 2021.

James is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history having won four NBA titles, four MVPs and achieving countless other accolades. The 38-year-old is still competing at a high level, too, coming off a 2022-23 season that saw him average 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 32.1 percent from deep.

James has worn No. 23 in 13 of his 20 NBA seasons. For what it's worth, he won a title with the Lakers in 2020 while wearing No. 23, so maybe the number change will bring the Purple and Gold some much-needed luck in 2023-24.