LeBron gives up #23!

[BrySmalls]

ESPN Article

It's a nice gesture, but could it be he only cares about expanding his own name?

[Joshawaggie]

Instead he is going with #6, which was worn by a legendary baller by the name of Bill Russell. Depending on who you ask, some consider him to be better than MJ, so that doesn't really solve any problems of wearing a number of a legend who deserves to be honored. While they are at it, maybe nobody should wear Kareem's, Mikan's, or West's number.

[rentz]

Sounds like a dumb idea for him, as his brand and personal logo feature 23.

[TFoA]

Can't retire 23, because although Jordan was hands down the best player of his generation and may have been the best player that people like me have ever seen, there have arguably been better players. IMO, Wilt Chamberlain was the best basketball player who ever lived. Even then, you'll have people who will argue that Bill Russell was the greatest, and at that turn you'll have people argue that Kareem was the greatest, and so on and so forth.

Basically, the NBA's had too many transcendent players for Michael Jordan's # to be the only one that's retired. That being said, this is a cool move on LeBron's part. If that's how he wants to pay tribute to one of the best players ever, then so be it. Plus, wouldn't it be cooler if it were an unwritten rule amongst the players? I'd be wiling to bet that most of the players in the league that wear 23 would probably follow LeBron and do the same, without the NBA having to do it for them.

So yeah, I'm cool with LeBron doing it. I wouldn't be cool with it being retired leaguewide.

[MDC]

It kinda took him a while to realize that MJ wore 23

[Gothamite]

I blame the NHL.

MLB retired Jackie Robinson's number not because he was the best baseball player ever, or even the best second baseman. They retired his number because of his contributions to American society as a whole, as expressed through his baseball career. Robinson was at the center of one transformative moment, with ripples felt for decades afterwards.

Jackie Robinson is one of the few dozen most important Americans in the nation's history because of what he did in that summer of 1947, and to honor the 50th anniversary of that accomplishment baseball decreed that no player would ever wear his #42 again.

Then hockey decided that they wanted to borrow a little of that glamour. And so all the NHL teams retired #99 because Wayne Gretzky... well, because he was a darn good hockey player.

Completely cheapened the notion of retiring a number league-wide. And so it continues.

[LMU]

Eh, no big loss. Come next season, nobody's going to wear #6 or #23 for Cleveland anyway.

[BaltimoreFan]

Eh, no big loss. Come next season, nobody's going to wear #6 or #23 for Cleveland anyway.

Hmm, that is interesting. I didn't even think about that. Maybe he is planning to change numbers because he is planning on changing teams. I've always hated when established players switch numbers half way through their career, but I don't really mind when its when they switch teams.

[hettinger_rl]

I always thought he was compared to players of the past; Jordan, Magic, Robertson... but it seems he's most like Kobe. He's doing it to sell more jerseys, Cleveland has been known to go the extra mile to do that. Or, he looked at the roster of the team that he'll be playing for next year and 23 was taken!

[Burmy]

I blame the NHL.

MLB retired Jackie Robinson's number not because he was the best baseball player ever, or even the best second baseman. They retired his number because of his contributions to American society as a whole, as expressed through his baseball career. Robinson was at the center of one transformative moment, with ripples felt for decades afterwards.

Jackie Robinson is one of the few dozen most important Americans in the nation's history because of what he did in that summer of 1947, and to honor the 50th anniversary of that accomplishment baseball decreed that no player would ever wear his #42 again.

So how does Mariano Rivera get a free pass?

Then hockey decided that they wanted to borrow a little of that glamour. And so all the NHL teams retired #99 because Wayne Gretzky... well, because he was a darn good hockey player.

Completely cheapened the notion of retiring a number league-wide. And so it continues.

I agree with you about the hockey part...However, I agree with #23 being retired league-wide because Michael Jordan did a lot to improve the NBA's image...because of his almost-unreal work ethic and adamant refusal to back down (he was cut from his high school team as a sophomore), many kids looked up to him, and the NBA..and basketball in general too...had a whole new fanbase as a result.

[The_Admiral]

Rivera was grandfathered in because he was wearing 42 before the leaguewide retirement. After he retires, nobody else can wear it ever again.

I think Mo Vaughn was wearing 42 on the Mets at the time and was similarly grandfathered in, which I found odd because you'd think New York would've retired 42 for Robinson already.

[eRay]

A couple facts to keep in mind:

The NY Knicks only have a handful of players on contract into (at least) next year. One of those players is young Toney Douglas. He wears #23. Nobody on the team currently wears #6.

Also, LeBron has mentioned that he has to get this okayed by every team in the league, much like Kobe, Chauncey, T-Mac, and others have. That rule is only in place if you stay on your current team. If you switch teams, you are free to change your number.

Either this means he is set on going, or set on staying. Depends how you choose to look at it. Orrrr, he just wants to call attention to himself.

[Brian E]

Rivera was grandfathered in because he was wearing 42 before the leaguewide retirement. After he retires, nobody else can wear it ever again.

I think Mo Vaughn was wearing 42 on the Mets at the time and was similarly grandfathered in, which I found odd because you'd think New York would've retired 42 for Robinson already.

Every player who was #42 at the time was allowed to keep using that number for the remainder of their career. Butch Huskey was actually number 42 on the Mets when the number was retired league-wide for Jackie. A few players changed their numbers anyway once Selig retired it even though they were allowed to keep it. Vaughn was wearing it with the Sox and was allowed to continue to wear it when he switched teams (from the Sox to Angels in 1999 and Angels to the Mets in 2003). Now Rivera is the last player to wear it and, once he retires, 42 will never be worn again with the exception of the April 15th thing teams have been doing the last two years.

[totc]

The reason LeBron is saying he's giving up 23 is just for jersey sales.

Note that last year and this year, Cleveland fans could purchase a home white, a road wine, a blue alternate, last year's yellow throwback, last year's blue "fauxback", and this year's wine "fauxback." And there was also a yellow throwback two years ago. And of course, Adidas has the St. Vincent/St. Mary's high-school throwback, Nike with the national-team jersey.

Either that or he's already picked a number to wear when he's a Knick ...

[The_Admiral]

Had to specify that it was 6 so that nobody would try to sell a worthless Jerome James 31 jersey and say it was LeBron's.

[Conrad.]

I'd be wiling to bet that most of the players in the league that wear 23 would probably follow LeBron and do the same, without the NBA having to do it for them.

you win the bet already:

ESPN article

[Davey]

#6 for the Knicks ?

[tBBP]

Can y'all not see that this man is simply f***ing with the media? (And some of you all, by extension?)

Seriously...this man KNOWS he has the media in the palm of his hand. He knows the FA questions will never stop. He also knows that every little thing he does that causes even the littlest amount of speculation to be made will be completely gobbled up by the media, regurgitated, and probably blown up to be bigger than what it really is. The man knows this...and he is playing his cards to his advantage.

And I, for one, ain't mad at him.

Hell, if I knew I could so easily f*** with people, sh** I'd probably do it, too.

I mean, look at it...the man wears Yankee caps on the regular. The other day he wore shoes emblazoned with #27 on one toe and "New York" on the other. Then he mentions he's switching jersey numbers next year. The man is simply f***in with people...and as long as he knows people are going to get suckered into his game, he's just gon' keep doing it.

Understand it. Realize it. The man is f***ing with people...and with a lot of y'all, too.

[Glover]

I'm glad I picked up a Shannon Brown jersey for 10 bucks two years ago. All I have to do is change the last name on it.

[chakfu]

I agree with you about the hockey part...However, I agree with #23 being retired league-wide because Michael Jordan did a lot to improve the NBA's image...because of his almost-unreal work ethic and adamant refusal to back down (he was cut from his high school team as a sophomore), many kids looked up to him, and the NBA..and basketball in general too...had a whole new fanbase as a result.

Man, I think MJ ruined the NBA - emphasis on showboating and dunking over team play, marketing of individuals, and promotion and marketing of "invincible" teams in Chicago and LA. Seriously, I think the NBA loved his popularity, played him up as some kind of deity, encouraged the refs to help his team stay invincible - and then, after his retirement, continued the same strategy to market the Lakers.

International players restored some depth to the league and we've had a resurgence of more team oriented superstars who pass the ball, like Wade, LeBron, Chris Paul...it's only in the past few years that the NBA has recovered from the miserable (miserable but popular) competition it had for a good decade and a half.

Bird and Magic did much more for the league, and also are the best two players I've ever seen. I'd retire 6, 32, and 33 before 23. But if you retire any of those, you need to do all of them; because of his era and the number of championships, Russell is the only one who is even close to special enough to warrant Jackie Robinson type treatment.