Dani Alves Reveals LeBron James Inspiration After Barcelona Transfer to Juventus

Dani Alves has revealed he will wear the No. 23 shirt at Juventus having completed his move to the Bianconeri from Barcelona—a number he chose in honour of basketball star LeBron James. 

Per Sport, he said: "I identify with him because he’s reinvented himself and got back to winning ways. I’m also changing my team, city, country and type of football, and I have to reinvent myself."

Alves' move to Juve marks the end of an eight-year spell with the Catalan giants. James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 after four years with the Miami Heat, and led his team to victory in the 2016 NBA Finals earlier this month.

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Per Sport, the Brazilian's final shirt number at the Camp Nou—No. 6—was an homage to Barca legend Xavi Hernandez, who left the club last summer.

Alves spoke on Tuesday as he was unveiled as a free-transfer signing for the Serie A champions a day after making his move official.

He discussed the importance of ending his Barcelona career on his own terms—as he was "aware" that the Liga club had considered replacing him:

"

There was no exact moment when I took the decision. Barca are a team with an incredible history. I considered myself privileged to have formed part of that. But all stories have an end and each person must decide when that it is. I wanted to write my own history. I wanted to be the person that decided when my era with Barca came to an end.

"

Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez believes Alves will be a huge loss for the Blaugrana—and an equivalent gain for Juventus:

The 33-year-old is evidently relishing the challenge of plying his trade in a new setting: "I have come with the excitement of being able to reinvent myself, I don’t always want to do the same thing. I’m grateful to Juve for giving me the opportunity to experience this—we’re going to have fun."

GianlucaDiMarzio's David Amoyal believes he can be an excellent acquisition for Juventus:

Further, he explained one of his main aims for his time in Turin—to win the UEFA Champions League:

"

We know the Champions League is a tough objective and so is the tournament. We'll have to work hard, and we most certainly will.

We'll make sure this team can make history again, as it's been too long. I'll do my best, I've come here to do what I can according to my qualities and my characteristics. I want to make the fans happy and give them the great joy of the Champions League.

"

Juve last lifted the trophy in 1996, but their resurgence in recent years has brought them back into contention.

In 2015, Alves' Barcelona denied them the honour in the final, while last season they were somewhat unfortunate to meet Bayern Munich in the round of 16.

Lastly, the right-back discussed his new team-mates, specifically Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala. He feels a sense of kinship with the former "because we have a similar philosophy in life, and we both see our profession as something to be enjoyed, with responsibility and our heads on our shoulders."

Meanwhile, he's hoping to provide the latter with plenty of assists: "I’m here to lend him and everybody else a hand. If I can get him and everyone to score many goals, that'll be my pleasure. I'll do everything I can to make that happen."

Indeed, the presence of Juve's back three should give Alves plenty of licence to maraud up and down the right flank at will, similar to the role played by Stephan Lichtsteiner and Juan Cuadrado last season.

With even more freedom to get up the pitch and support the attack, Alves should be able to help Dybala and Co. thrive.