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Report: LeBron Switching Jersey Number Back To No. 6

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Lakers superstar LeBron James is changing his jersey number for the third time in his NBA career.

Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-100 during game six of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoff basketball game.
Los Angeles, CA - June 03: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers waits to enter the game against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of game six of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoff basketball game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 3, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic, James will switch his jersey from No. 23 to No. 6 prior to next season.

The change is expected to be officially announced after the release of James' movie "Space Jam: A New Legacy," which is slated for release on July 16, Charania said.

James started his professional career with the Cleveland Cavaliers with No. 23. When he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, he switched to No. 6.

He then switched back to No. 23 when he returned to the Cavaliers in 2014, and kept that when he moved to the Lakers in 2018.

There's no immediate word on the reason for the change. Back in the summer of 2019, when the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis, James signaled he would change his jersey number to allow Davis to himself keep No. 23, which was Davis' number for the entirety of his New Orleans Pelicans career.

However, the deal fell through and Davis eventually settled on No. 3.

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