Anthony Davis to Wear Michael Jordan's No. 23 Jersey with Wizards After Mavs Trade

New Washington Wizards star Anthony Davis is bringing back his former number after being traded by the Dallas Mavericks.

The veteran will wear No. 23 in Washington, making him the first Wizard to wear that number since the legendary Michael Jordan, who wore it during the 2002-03 campaign.

Jordan's iconic No. 23 uniform is synonymous with the Chicago Bulls, but his final years came with the Wizards. After retiring in 1998 following the Bulls' second three-peat, Jordan spent three years away from basketball before returning in 2001 and joining Washington.

The Wizards missed the playoffs in both of Jordan's seasons in Washington, and he retired again, for the final time, after the 2002-03 campaign. The Wizards will look for their new No. 23 to lead them to more success than the last player who wore No. 23.

The Wizards acquired Davis from the Mavericks on Wednesday, just one year after the Los Angeles Lakers sent him to Dallas in a blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić.

It was the second significant trade the Wizards have made in the past month, as they also landed former All-Star Trae Young in January. The aggressive trades indicate Washington's push to win now rather than spending several more years in a rebuild.

The first order of business is getting their new duo healthy.

Davis hasn't played since early January because of a hand injury, while Young has been out since late December because of MCL and quad issues. It might be a while before the two are on the court together, and considering Washington is in 13th place in the East, the Wizards might not be rushing their return.

Instead, the focus is likely on getting both as healthy as possible and pushing for a big 2026-27 campaign.