LeBron James surprised the NBA world with an iconic gesture — giving out his signature No. 23 to newcomer Anthony Davis soon after he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Due to a snag within NBA rules that interferes with jersey production, that affable gift won't be able to materialize until next season, as Davis and James have missed the March deadline to submit a change of jersey number, forcing this arrangement to be on hold.
The Brow didn't hold back his disappointment, telling Spectrum SportsNet that No. 23 is a number special to him, one he intends to wear in practice while he wears No. 3 in games.
“Both of us, LeBron and I were pretty disappointed. It's like a huge thing, you know?,” said Davis. “I've worn 23 from freshman year of high school all the way until last season, and then for him to be like: ‘Here, here's 23.' Thank you… I am going to wear 23 in practice though.”
Many also expected James to wear his former No. 6 with the Lakers, but it looks like that change will be delayed for another year as well.
Jersey sales play a large part in the NBA's revenue and the popularity of its players across the world. Had it been a different player, it might not have been a request the league would deny, but James is the NBA's top jersey seller, and rendering thousands of jerseys useless in a snap of a finger would be a pretty tough blow in such a short turnaround.
The NBA however, will get the chance to double dip on this once his jersey change is made official, likely selling the retro version of his former number years from now.
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