LeBron James gives up on Number 23

There has been talk about the jersey number, 23, ever since Michael Jordan retired for a second time in 1998. When he left the game, a lot of new players came in wearing the same number. Among those players was LeBron James. However, unlike the rest of those players, James was expected to live up to that number. While James has been great and his team has had great runs, he just could not live up to the last notable person to wear this number in 23.

LeBron James was not feeling the pressure about the jersey number situation until after the 2007 NBA Finals. The fact that his team could not score a victory, let alone a championship ended any chance of his legacy even touching that of Michael Jordan's. Ever since that time, many critics, mainly Skip Bayless, have let LeBron James have it. He has said numerous times on the ESPN program, "ESPN First Take," that James should change his jersey number.

It was not until after the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals that LeBron James actually began considering the idea of changing his jersey number. He is now in his seventh season in the NBA and he has yet to deliver a championship to the city of Cleveland. Some people feel that this is their year, but James is afraid of a repeat of last season. All of the talk of LeBron James giving up his jersey number is no longer talk. He has filed the proper papers to have his jersey number changed from 23 to 6 for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Some people see a hidden message in his jersey number change.

There has been quite a bit of talk about LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the spotlight that is the City of New York or down to South Beach with his buddy, Dwyane Wade. If that were indeed the case, when he signed with a new team, he could simply pick a new jersey number. But, the fact that he chose to file paperwork to receive a new number could provide symbolism that he may be staying in Cleveland for a few more seasons.