LeBron is entering his 21st NBA season. The all-time leader in points scored, LeBron is absolutely a no-doubt Hall of Famer. However, along with honors like the Hall of Fame, there is the question of retired jerseys. While some players get their jerseys retired league-wide, the practice is often limited to a team-by-team basis. LeBron has played for three teams during his career - Cleveland (11 seasons), Miami (4 seasons), and the Lakers (5 seasons). It's likely that every team will choose to retire LeBron's jersey.
However, that could still be some time away. Despite flirting with retirement this past offseason, LeBron appears to be back and ready for Season 21. LeBron has been very clear that he wants to play at least one season alongside his son Bronny. However, Bronny's recent medical issues could put a dent in that plan. It's unclear if or when Bronny will return to the court after suffering a cardiac arrest. Bronny was expected to be a first-round pick in next year's draft. But that plan could be in jeopardy.
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Lakers Confirm LeBron Jersey Retirement
Speaking with Sportskeeda, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss confirmed that the Lakers would retire LeBron's jersey upon his retirement. “The standard for having your jersey retired as a Laker is when a player is inducted into the Hall-of-Fame. I have absolutely no doubt that LeBron will make it into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame. When he does so, then we will retire his jersey. Knowing that he will make it into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame, he will have his Lakers jersey retired, no doubt about it.”
However, which number would the Lakers retire? LeBron wore #23 for the first three years in Los Angeles, before changing to #6 for the 2021-22 season. LeBron will change back to #23 for the 2023-24 season in order to honor Bill Russell, who passed away last year. However, Buss was non-commital when asked which number the Lakers would retire. “That’s a discussion for another time,” Buss said.
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