What teams have retired number 23?
Michael Jordan - Bulls, Heat
23 retired by the Chicago Bulls and even across the league in the same way Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 is in hockey.
Michael Jordan - Bulls, Heat
23 retired by the Chicago Bulls and even across the league in the same way Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 is in hockey.
NBA superstar LeBron James will switch back to jersey number 23 for the Los Angeles Lakers' upcoming season, the team announced on Saturday. James, who has worn the No. 23 jersey in 14 of his 20 seasons in the NBA, has sported the No. 6 jersey the previous two seasons with the Lakers.
Riley explained it was made as a sign of respect of what Jordan has done for the game. ”Having our guys walk onto the court and look up to see how high you have to climb to reach what he has achieved is something that I think is honorable,” Riley explained. ”I just believe he deserves it.
Bill Russell - Celtics, all NBA teams
6 would be permanently retired throughout the league.
The number 23 is probably the most iconic in the NBA. However, just six different teams retired the number 23 from their roster. The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat retired the number 23 in honor of Michael Jordan. Jordan never played for the Miami Heat.
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. And that nobody should ever wear No. 23 again.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will once again wear No. 23 this season, after switching to No. 6 for the last two years.
According to Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant switched his jersey number from 8 to 24 to one-up Michael Jordan's 23 which became iconic during MJ's run with the Chicago Bulls.
And then there's Michael Jordan, who started wearing the number 23 in high school because it was as close as he could get to half of the number 45 worn by his older brother, Larry. LeBron James also has worn 23 as an homage to Jordan.
Who retired number 23?
| Team | Player name | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls | Michael Jordan | 23 |
| Chicago Bulls | Scottie Pippen | 33 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Bingo Smith | 7 |
After wearing No. 23 in Cleveland, he switched to No. 6 when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010.
On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center.
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.
But which one, No. 23 or No. 6, or maybe both? Lakers governor Jeanie Buss says the Lakers will retire LeBron James' jersey when he's inducted into the Hall of Fame.
When late Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from eight to 24 during the 2006-07 season, he explained it at the time as "growth" from his prior digits. "Then 24 is a growth from [No. 8]," Bryant once said.
In addition to the former Heat standouts, Miami has also retired Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey and Michael Jordan's No. 23, despite neither having played a single minute with the franchise.
The Boston Celtics retired No. 23 in honor of Frank Ramsey, known as the first “sixth man” in franchise and NBA history. Ramsey spent his entire professional career with the Celtics from 1954 to 1964, though he missed the 1955-56 season due to military service.
No. 32 retired in NBA. Though it's one of the most iconic numbers in basketball history, No. 23 has been retired by only six different teams, in honor of five different players.
Cleveland Cavaliers #23
When James entered the league, he came in on the heels of wearing #23 at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. This is a nod to Michael Jordan.
Who was number 23 on the Bulls?
Jordan's number 23 was retired by the Bulls and he has a statue of his likeness in the United Center. He was voted a top 50 all-time NBA player and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. when his father was on a business assignment, but he was raised in North Carolina.
James had indicated to ESPN in September that he was contemplating a change after the 2022-23 season, but said wearing No. 6 for one more campaign "means a lot to me." He returns to No. 23, the number he wore when he broke into the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft.
James spent the last two seasons wearing 6 after donning 23 for his first three seasons in Los Angeles, including during the Lakers' championship run in 2020. He switched to 6 in 2021 to make 23 available for teammate Anthony Davis, who now wears 3. The 2023-24 season will be James' 15th season wearing No. 23.
LeBron is changing back to No. 23. The reason is out of respect for the late Bill Russell, LeBron's agent Rich Paul told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
James switched back to No. 23 from 2014-21 – his second four-year stint with the Cavaliers and his first three seasons with the Lakers – before wearing No. 6 again the past two seasons.
