Why Are The Lakers Wearing No. 6 Patches On Their Jerseys This Season? (2024)
The Los Angeles Lakers will join the rest of the NBA in celebrating the memory of Bill Russell, a Boston Celtics legend and one of the greatest athletes ever, during the 2022-23 season.
Russell passed away in July at the age of 88, prompting the NBA to retire his No. 6 jersey across the league. No other player in the Association’s history has ever received the honor.
But that made for a fitting tribute to one of the winningest athletes of all sports — a view shared by the many NBA legends, including Lakers icon Magic Johnson, who called on commissioner Adam Silver to retire Russell’s number after the Celtics great’s passing.
During his 13-year NBA career, Russell won 11 NBA championships — two of which came during his three-year stint as a player-coach between 1966-1969, which made him the NBA’s first-ever Black coach.
Russell’s legacy as both a generational talent and civil rights pioneer will forever be celebrated in the NBA and beyond. And to remind basketball fans of the legendary center’s impact on sports and society, the Lakers and players of every other team will wear a commemorative black No. 6 patch on their jerseys in 2022-23.
Also, a green clover-shaped logo with No. 6 on it will grace each NBA court during the season.
Interestingly, LeBron James, former Lakers guard and now-Chicago Bulls player Alex Caruso, and other NBA stars will be able to wear their No. 6 jerseys for as long as they stay in the league, as the number has been grandfathered.
But it will not be issued again by any NBA team to any player.
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The Los Angeles Lakers will join the rest of the NBA in celebrating the memory of Bill Russell
Bill Russell
Russell made himself eligible for the 1956 NBA draft. In the draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed.
, a Boston Celtics legend and one of the greatest athletes ever, during the 2022-23 season. Russell passed away in July at the age of 88, prompting the NBA to retire his No. 6 jersey across the league.
6 out of respect for the late Bill Russell, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN back in July. The league retired No. 6 in Aug. 2022 after Russell died, but James continued to wear the number last season to honor the 11-time NBA champion.
The No. 6 patch on NBA jerseys this season is a nod to Bill Russell's legacy on the court. The Boston Celtics legend amassed 11 NBA titles, five MVPs, 12 All-Star appearances and countless other accolades while rocking the No. 6 on his back from 1956-1969.
According to Rich Paul, friend and former agent of 'King James', "LeBron's decision was out of respect for Bill Russell". LeBron was among the last players in the NBA to wear the number 6, after the league retired the number 6 in memory of Bill Russell, who died in the summer of 2022 at the age of 88.
That's because the #6 has been permanently retired across the whole NBA in honour of former Boston Celtics player Bill Russell. Russell's contributions to basketball went beyond his impressive skills on the court, as he was an influential civil rights activist during a time of racial tension in America.
James wore No. 23 in high school and when he joined the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. When he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, he switched to No. 6, stating at the time of his decision that it was in honor of Michael Jordan.
He donned the number from 2018 to '21 with the team, then made the switch to No.6 for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. While wearing No. 23 with Los Angeles for three seasons, James helped the Lakers to an NBA title in 2020, and was named NBA Finals MVP that year.
Luckily, LeBron James, who changed to No. 6 from No. 23 at the start of the 2021-22 season, will not have to change his jersey number. And the same goes to the 19 players who also hold the number, including Kristaps Porzingis, Alex Caruso, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Quentin Grimes.
There have been more than 250 players in NBA history to wear a No. 6 jersey, including 24 who did so in at least one game last season — most notably, James, who has alternated between No. 6 and 23 throughout his NBA career.
But why do the Celtics have the number 6 painted on their court? This is a tribute to Bill Russell's exceptional performance in the paint during his time with the team. It is worth noting that this is the first time that numerical text has been displayed within that area on an NBA court.
MJ was motivated as a child by his older brother Larry, so they decided to both wear the Jersey number 45. And when they became partners on the same team, he couldn't wear the same number. So he decided to split the number 45 in half. and rounded it up to 23, and that's how he got the number 23.
23 jersey the upcoming season. His agent, Rich Paul, said James decided to do so out of respect for NBA legend Bill Russell, whose No. 6 was retired league-wide following his death last summer. The Lakers are the only team to have retired two jersey numbers for one player.
23. The reason is out of respect for the late Bill Russell, LeBron's agent Rich Paul told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The NBA retired the No. 6 across the league but players already wearing the number were grandfathered in and could continue to wear it.
Because of the N.C.A.A.'s longstanding Rule 1, Section 22, Article 7, Clause b. 2 — the little-known statute that prohibits college basketball players from wearing any of the numerals 6, 7, 8 or 9. Those are the numbers you will not see on a college basketball court.
Throughout his illustrious career, LeBron James has made multiple transitions in his jersey number. After wearing No. 23 in Cleveland, he switched to No. 6 when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010.
The Lakers star will be returning to No.23, the number he wore his first three seasons in Los Angeles, after he sported No. 6 the past two seasons. "It's LeBron's decision," his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
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