What jersey will LeBron wear with 76ers? King James' jersey timeline
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LeBron James made his final decision on his playing career, announcing he will spend his pre-retirement years with the Philadelphia 76ers, who haven't won an NBA championship since 1983.
The only speculation left for the 41-year-old James is what jersey number he will wear. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has only worn the No. 23 and No. 6 during his entire 23-year career.
At the time of his announcement that he was joining the Sixers, the No. 23 was available, as the player who wore that number last season, guard Tyrese Martin, signed a one-year contract with FC Barcelona. Martin only spent nine games with Philadelphia after signing a two-way contract with the team in February.
LeBron James career jersey number timeline
2003-10: No. 23
After being the No. 1 pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, James stuck with the No. 23 he had worn during his high school career. He spent eight seasons with the Cavaliers before his first free agent decision.
2010-14: No. 6
When James made his televised debacle, better known as "The Decision," he and his cohorts, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who were waiting for his talents to come to South Beach, made some bold predictions during their welcome rally. James said they would win "not 4, not 5, not 6" championships during his stint in Miami. But the only six that James would see would be his jersey number. He did win two championships in four seasons before departing.
2014-21: No. 23
James returned to Cleveland, making his announcement in a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated. James also returned to his familiar No. 23 and made good on coming back home during his second stint there by delivering Cleveland their first NBA championship with an epic Finals comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
2021-23: No. 6
James signed a four-year, $153.3 million free agent deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 and didn't make the switch back to No. 6 until the 2021 season. That jersey decision was short-lived as he went back to No. 23 in 2023. James did help deliver the Lakers another championship in 2020 during the pandemic bubble playoffs in Florida.
2023-26: No. 23
In the last three seasons, James wore No. 23, as the No. 6 is retired league-wide in honor of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What jersey will LeBron wear with 76ers? King James' jersey timeline