Report: LeBron James Changing Jersey Numbers, Giving No. 23 To Anthony Davis

LeBron James had to give up on his jersey number. He may be happy to have Anthony Davis on the floor in Los Angeles, but he had to give up on his No. 23. The information was first confirmed by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

“Lakers superstar LeBron James is gifting Anthony Davis his No. 23, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” Chris Haynes reported. “The league has been notified of the pending jersey change, sources said.

“Davis, 26, has worn No. 23 throughout his entire seven-year NBA career as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers agreed to acquire Davis on June 15 in a blockbuster deal that sent a number of assets to New Orleans.

“James is laying the groundwork to make his soon-to-be new teammate as comfortable as possible, and the six-time All-Star was extremely grateful for the gesture, sources said.

“James has worn No. 6 with the Miami Heat and No. 23 with the Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. It is unclear what number James will select for the 2019-20 season, sources said. The Nos. 8, 13, 22, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 42, 44 and 52 are retired by the Lakers.

“The trade that sent Davis to the Lakers isn’t expected to be finalized until July 6.”

The No. 23 was retired in Miami in honor of their great star, Michael Jordan, which is why LeBron didn’t wear it there. The fact that he wore the No. 6 jersey in Miami will probably help him pick a number in Los Angeles. He is probably going with No. 6 again.

Shortly after Haynes confirmed the information, it was revealed that Davis decided to waive his 15 percent trade bonus. In other words, the Lakers can sign him without losing their max space cap or signing-and-trading Alex Caruso. Was this an internal agreement between LeBron and Davis? Davis got his jersey number, and he decided to make things easier for the Lakers. Smart choice.

LeBron likes the No. 23, but he also knows how to do business. This is actually a good sign. LeBron and Davis can reach an agreement, and that’s what the Lakers need at the moment.