Update #3, July 13, 3:01 pm: The Los Angeles Lakers revealed on Twitter that Anthony Davis will wear No. 3 this season.
Update #2, July 12, 7:49 pm: Due to production issues that a jersey number change would cause Nike, LeBron James’ gesture to give his No. 23 to Anthony Davis has been postponed until next year. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports detailed the process, including the March 15 deadline typically imposed upon players looking to change their number in a subsequent season.
Update #1, 11:53 pm: While nothing has been formally announced, LeBron James sent a tweet that would suggest that he has decided to wear No. 6 next season.
When Anthony Davis dons a Los Angeles Lakers jersey next season, he’ll do so wearing a familiar No. 23 on his jersey. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, James has gifted the number to his soon-to-be teammate.
It’s not known at this time what jersey number James will switch to, although he wore No. 6 during his four-year stint with the Miami Heat. James switched back to No. 23 when he returned to Cleveland and kept that when he joined the Lakers.
Typically when players give up jersey numbers to teammates it’s an act of good faith, although usually the player receiving the number reciprocates in kind. Haynes specifically noting that the King is gifting the number to Davis is an indication of the bond between the two superstars as they prepare for their first season on the same roster.
The dynamic between Davis and James is a unique one in today’s NBA. The two stars share representation at Klutch Sports Group and it was agent Rich Paul who famously pushed the Pelicans to trade Davis to Los Angeles.
Not only will the pair be leaning on each other on the basketball court, it was also reported that Davis would co-star in the upcoming Space Jam sequel, a film produced by LeBron James’ own film studio.
The pairing of the superstars has already made the Lakers an interesting bet for the 2020 NBA title. That the bond between the stars already appears this strong could very well be bad news for the rest of the league.
