In the latest 'LeBron is a tool' news, he now wants to wear #6

[indeedproceed]

This is so disrespectfull to Bill Russell and Julius Erving...I really hope Magic or Celtics beat him this year and then he sign with Knicks and hopefully won 0 rings in career...Punk

I believe the reason he likes #6 is out of deference to Dr. J.

Where did you see this?

[Chris]

Honestly, the more I think about this, the less I care.  The whole idea of retiring #23 league-wide was moronic (I am pretty sure he said that), but if he wants to switch numbers in order to show respect to his idle, then good for him. 

I know it is just a media stunt, just like when Kobe changed his number, but really, who cares?  It's what sells tickets in this league.  And maybe, if he can bring more attention to the league, they won't kill themselves by locking out for a year.

[Lucky17]

LeBron has no idea who Bill Russell was as a player, or what he meant (and still means) to the game of basketball.

LeBron grew up watching and idolizing Jordan. That's what this is about. This is not about history, it's simply an homage to a personal hero.

[indeedproceed]

LeBron has no idea who Bill Russell was as a player, or what he meant (and still means) to the game of basketball.

LeBron grew up watching and idolizing Jordan. That's what this is about. This is not about history, it's simply an homage to a personal hero.

I would buy that if Bill Russell was dead, or didn't have a presence in the NBA.

But the guy sits courtside at like every game. Everysingle NBA game in every single city. Sometimes simultaneously. I've seen Lebron walk over just to shake his hand. Its not like he doesn't know who he is, and if the reason why he doesn't want to wear number 23 is because he feels he is not worthy of it, out of all the other numbers, why in the world would he pick Bill Russell's?

[RAcker]

Eh, I don't need any more reasons to KNOW he's a tool.

[Chris]

LeBron has no idea who Bill Russell was as a player, or what he meant (and still means) to the game of basketball.

LeBron grew up watching and idolizing Jordan. That's what this is about. This is not about history, it's simply an homage to a personal hero.

I would buy that if Bill Russell was dead, or didn't have a presence in the NBA.

But the guy sits courtside at like every game. Everysingle NBA game in every single city. Sometimes simultaneously. I've seen Lebron walk over just to shake his hand. Its not like he doesn't know who he is, and if the reason why he doesn't want to wear number 23 is because he feels he is not worthy of it, out of all the other numbers, why in the world would he pick Bill Russell's?

Oh, I don't think he doesn't think he is worthy of it, I think he is just trying to give a tip of the cap to his hero.  I don't think he is saying anything about who is more important, he is just saying who is more important to HIM. 

That is not a knock on Russell, it is just that Russell was way before his time. 

I am sure in 15 years, you are going to have the kids coming into the league doing the same thing with Lebron, and ignoring Jordan.  Not because they don't know who he was, but because they did not grow up with a Jordan poster on their wall.

[Lucky17]

LeBron has no idea who Bill Russell was as a player, or what he meant (and still means) to the game of basketball.

LeBron grew up watching and idolizing Jordan. That's what this is about. This is not about history, it's simply an homage to a personal hero.

I would buy that if Bill Russell was dead, or didn't have a presence in the NBA.

But the guy sits courtside at like every game. Everysingle NBA game in every single city. Sometimes simultaneously. I've seen Lebron walk over just to shake his hand. Its not like he doesn't know who he is, and if the reason why he doesn't want to wear number 23 is because he feels he is not worthy of it, out of all the other numbers, why in the world would he pick Bill Russell's?

Because, no pun intended, LeBron didn't witness Russell play. He may know Russell was one of the top 50 players of all time, but I doubt he's actually seen footage or looked closely at Russell's accomplishments.

Jordan was a perfect storm of god-given talent, indomitable will, and media marketing. That's the template LeBron wants to emulate, but knows he can never surpass. If I thought LeBron more calculating, I would suspect that this move is meant to deflect the inevitable comparisons between the two.

Regardless, I hope that on Sunday, April 4, during the Celtics' nationally televised home game against Cleveland, I get to see lots of shots of Bill Russell courtside, and thousands of Celtics fans in promotional green t-shirts with #6 printed on it. [Make it happen, Wyc.]

[kenmaine]

Please...respect for MJ??
David gave him a call and said: "Hey LeBron, the market is full with #23's and nobody is buying jerseys anymore, could you/you will switch numbers for some stupid reason, it worked with Kobe and as a bonus I'll keep those refs in your pocket?!"

You are way too cynical about $tern and his NBA.
But, to paraphrase a great quote, "just because you're cynical doesn't mean that you're not correct". TP

[Roy Hobbs]

This is so disrespectfull to Bill Russell and Julius Erving...I really hope Magic or Celtics beat him this year and then he sign with Knicks and hopefully won 0 rings in career...Punk

I believe the reason he likes #6 is out of deference to Dr. J.

Where did you see this?

It's been mentioned several times, including here:

The reigning MVP frequently wears No. 6 as a practice jersey with the Cavaliers. He wears that number because his second-favorite player is Julius "Dr. J" Erving and it holds other special meaning.

"I wore 32 back in high school because Dr. J wore it at first," he said. "My first child was born on Oct. 6, my second child was born in June. If I'm not going to wear 23, I'm going to wear 6."

Link.

[indeedproceed]

This is so disrespectfull to Bill Russell and Julius Erving...I really hope Magic or Celtics beat him this year and then he sign with Knicks and hopefully won 0 rings in career...Punk

I believe the reason he likes #6 is out of deference to Dr. J.

Where did you see this?

It's been mentioned several times, including here:

The reigning MVP frequently wears No. 6 as a practice jersey with the Cavaliers. He wears that number because his second-favorite player is Julius "Dr. J" Erving and it holds other special meaning.

"I wore 32 back in high school because Dr. J wore it at first," he said. "My first child was born on Oct. 6, my second child was born in June. If I'm not going to wear 23, I'm going to wear 6."

Link.

THe thing about his kids makes me hate this a little less. But my fury is still strong.

[RAcker]

This is so disrespectfull to Bill Russell and Julius Erving...I really hope Magic or Celtics beat him this year and then he sign with Knicks and hopefully won 0 rings in career...Punk

I believe the reason he likes #6 is out of deference to Dr. J.

Where did you see this?

It's been mentioned several times, including here:

The reigning MVP frequently wears No. 6 as a practice jersey with the Cavaliers. He wears that number because his second-favorite player is Julius "Dr. J" Erving and it holds other special meaning.

"I wore 32 back in high school because Dr. J wore it at first," he said. "My first child was born on Oct. 6, my second child was born in June. If I'm not going to wear 23, I'm going to wear 6."

Link.

THe thing about his kids makes me hate this a little less. But my fury is still strong.

Yeah, don't lose your intensity.  Stay focused on your hatred.

Wait, this is something that Dark Lord ought to be saying, not me.

[Moranis]

LeBron James could reportedly have a new number next season, but Cleveland Cavaliers fans hope the words remain the same.

James filed paperwork to switch from No. 23 to No. 6, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Monday. He beat a Wednesday deadline to make the request.

The All-Star said in November that he was thinking of giving up 23 out of respect for his hero Michael Jordan, but at that time he was "50-50," according to the newspaper.

"I've done it," James told the Plain Dealer. "I already sent it in. I'm going to be No. 6."

Six is James' jersey number on the Olympic team, but the NBA does not have to grant his request.

James will be part of the vaunted 2010 free-agent class that includes Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. While Bulls fans would like to see him try to make No. 6 as legendary as No. 23 in Chicago, New York has also maneuvered to have enough cap space to sign James.

Cleveland can sign James to a longer, more lucrative deal, however.

LeBron, out of deference to what some call the greatest basketball player of all time, has decided to switch his number, to WHAT SOME CALL THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME.

My respect for LeBron's game is rapidly losing ground to my disdain for LeBron as a person.

MJ is hero, not Bill, not Dr. J, or anyone else.  No where does he say he is switching because MJ is the greatest player of all time, it is because MJ is his hero.

On another note and frankly the most important part of this piece, he only had to file the paperwork if he remains in Cleveland.  Any other team and he wouldn't have to file the paperwork to pick a new number.

[dark_lord]

nba will be psyched about this....more jersey sales 

[RebusRankin]

Come on, LeBron is a student of the game, he's gone back all the way to 1990 in his research, practically ancient history.

[pearljammer10]

Its just a number... People need to relax.