LeBron James, not Anthony Davis, will wear No. 23 with the Lakers next season, even though James wanted to give his number to his new teammate.
Yahoo Sports' Chris B. Haynes reported Friday that the switch was put off for a year because Nike, the uniform manufacturer, did not grant permission. The Lakers and James needed Nike's approval because the proposed switch was to be made after the March 15 deadline for changes.
More from Haynes:
But due to production issues and the massive financial hit Nike would have absorbed from the No. 23 James inventory that’s already been produced, Nike could not accommodate the request for this season, sources said.
James decided not to pursue the change after Nike weighed in, Haynes reported.
MORE: Lakers GM says anything other than a championship would be a failure
James wore 23 during his two stints with the Cavaliers but wore 6 while playing for the Heat. He reportedly was going to return to 6 with the Lakers after giving Davis 23.
Davis' new number will likely be revealed at his introductory news conference Saturday. (UPDATE: Davis revealed it late Friday in Instagram: He'll wear 3 instead.)
Anthony Davis, with his Instagram handle that includes his old No. 23, announces he’ll wear No. 3 for the Lakers this season pic.twitter.com/cYMakk4RVZ
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 13, 2019
Fans will be denied a version of the passing of the number that James previously staged on Instagram:
There's a chance Davis will never wear a No. 23 Lakers jersey. He's signed only through the 2019-20 season and can become a free agent next July.
