Beginning next season, LeBron James will officially become the greatest player to wear No. 6 for the Los Angeles Lakers.

James won't be the first notable player to switch numbers while playing for the storied franchise. Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich switched from No. 11 to No. 25 for his final six seasons in Los Angeles, and the latter number hangs in the rafters.

Kobe Bryant spent exactly 10 years in each of his two numbers, and now No. 8 and No. 24 are retired.

Kobe's teammate, Metta World Peace changed his number to 37 in honor of Michael Jackson's Thriller album during his Lakers tenure, because of course he did.

For whatever reason, No. 6 has become an increasingly popular number worn for Lakers players in recent decades. (James has a long history with No. 6, and would have switched back earlier if not for Nike).

In fact, of the 12 folks (including LeBron) who have donned No. 6 in purple-and-gold, 10 of them have played in the 21st Century, while the other two played in the 1990s. (The Lakers, in case you forgot, were founded in 1947.)

LeBron may be the first Hall of Fame-caliber player to wear No. 6 in Los Angeles, though he's far from the first notable guy to do so. Because this list of names is so delightfully goofy, let's celebrate the “legacy” of the number in purple-and-gold, before James gives it…a new legacy.

Chucky Brown

Brown, remarkably, played for 12 franchises across his 13 NBA seasons. In 1991-92, he played 36 games in Los Angeles, becoming the foremost No. 6 in Lakers lore.

Also: Brown's nickname is apparently “Wild Thing”, per Basketball-Reference, which is enjoyable.

Eddie Jones (1997-99)

Steady Eddie averaged 15.2 PPG in six seasons with the Lakers after being selected with the 10th pick by Jerry West in 1994. Jones wore No. 25 for two seasons then was forced to switch due to the retirement of Goodrich's number.

Jones, a 3-time All-Star, including two with the Lakers, earned All-Defense Second Team honors in 1998 before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets to clear playing time for Kobe.

Jones is also responsible for the coolest layup in NBA history:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F194gh0ALvQ

Jelani McCoy

In 2001-02, McCoy appeared in 21 games and won a ring in his one season in Los Angeles. Not a bad gig.

Maurice Evans

Evans had a solid NBA career from 2001-11. Mo played one season and change for the Lakers in 2007-08, serving primarily as Kobe's defensive-minded backup.

Adam Morrison

The Stache, the myth, the legend.

The former Gonzaga star and Wooden Award winner never validated Michael Jordan's decision to select him with the No. 3 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, though he did end up with two rings as head cheerleader for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

He appeared in 39 games with Los Angeles, though his impact was…outsized.

 

Josh McRoberts

McBob spent one forgettable campaign with the Lakers. He averaged 2.8 points per game in 50 games in 2011-12 then was included in the Dwight Howard trade that summer.

Earl Clark

That Howard trade brought Clark to Los Angeles, too, and he assumed McRoberts' number — one of the five numbers Clark wore for six different teams during his surprisingly underwhelming and short NBA career.

The former Louisville standout saw some decent run in his one season with the Lakers. He averaged 7.3 points in 59 games in 2012-13 and even worked his way into Mike D'Antoni's starting lineup for 36 games.

Kent Bazemore

Bazemore was traded to Los Angeles in Feb. 2014 and actually played well for the abysmal 27-win Lakers squad. In 23 games (15 starts), Baze averaged 13.1 PPG on 45.1% shooting, but his Lakers career ended after he tore a tendon in his foot.

Jordan Clarkson

Clarkson rocked No. 6 for the first three seasons of his career, which came in Los Angeles from 2014-18.

He was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2014-15 — the fourth second-round pick the previous 30 years to accomplish the feat. Overall, Clarkson averaged 14.2 points on 12.6 field goal attempts per game for lottery-bound Lakers groups.

Clarkson signed a four-year, $50 million extension with Los Angeles in 2016, but his production stalled the following season, and he earned the reputation as an empty-calorie scorer for non-competitive teams.

In Feb. 2018, he was traded, along with Larry Nance Jr., to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a 2018 first-round pick that turned into Moritz Wagner.

Clarkson wore No. 8 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, then switched to No. 00 for his Sixth Man of the Year-winning first campaign with the Utah Jazz this season.

Derrick Williams

Williams continues the trend of high draft picks or college hoops stars wearing No. 6 with the Lakers. The 2011 No. 2 pick spent one 10-day contract with L.A. in 2018 — his last NBA minutes before heading overseas to hoop.

Lance Stephenson

Like Williams, Stephenson's lone Lakers season marked his last appearance in the Association.

In his limited time, Stephenson, of course, was able to make a memorable mark in the hearts of Lakers fans, specifically with his iconically silly air guitar celebration. Lance makes 'em dance.

 

The incomparable New York City pickup legend averaged 7.2 points in 63 games for the 2018-19 Lakers, teaming up with LeBron James, who seemingly got over Stephenson's ear-blowing ways.

Since then, Stephenson won a title with the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association, and earned MVP honors of the Terrific 12 league. 

I think I speak for everyone when I say: Born Ready forever.