LeBron James has always been a fan of Michael Jordan, he even copied his jersey number! But at one point, he wanted the NBA to retire no.23!
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LeBron James and Michael Jordan the comparisons will go on forever. Both athletes have built a legacy unlike any other and it is hard to fathom if anyone else can ever match that.
Perhaps the biggest thing to remember here is how much respect the two have for each other. Jordan is LeBron’s idol. He has always admired him and has always called him the one person he looks up to the most.
He even cried when he passed his idol in the scoring charts. Tears of joy and sorrow, we think.
His famous no.23 is also inspired by MJ who also wore the number. In fact, LeBron loved his idol so much that he even once asked the NBA to retire the number!
LeBron James asks for the NBA to retire the no.23 after deciding to switch to no.6 himself!
In 2009, while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron decided that he would switch his jersey no. to 6. He wanted to do this to honor MJ.
More than that, he also wanted the league to retire the number. LeBron felt that MJ had an impact on the game that no one else could possibly have.
He wanted the league to honor him in the highest way possible, by making sure that no one else could wear the no.23.
Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out in a way that LeBron would have liked. The league did not retire his number. LeBron too eventually came back to wearing the 23.
However, it is good to know that James holds Jordan in such high esteem that he is willing to not wear his beloved number. LeBron has been wearing no.6 since the start of this season.
