Bill Russell's legacy will never be forgotten.
The No. 2 pick in the 1956 NBA Draft, Russell played 13 seasons in the league and put together a resume that won't ever be matched. In addition to earning 12 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA selections and five MVP awards, Russell won 11 championships, the most in NBA history.
Russell had just as much of an impact off the court as he did on it, too. He broke barriers by becoming the first Black coach in NBA history, and he was a civil rights icon.
“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps."
Following his death on July 31, 2022, the NBA announced that it would pay tribute to Russell in a number of ways, including retiring his No. 6 jersey across the league. Russell is the first player to receive that honor.
What does that mean for LeBron James, who is among a group of active players wearing No. 6?
MORE: How Bill Russell revolutionized defense
Will LeBron James change his number? NBA retires Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey
The NBA announced that No. 6 will never be issued again and players who currently wear the number will be grandfathered in, meaning they are allowed to continue wearing it if they choose. According to For The Win's Cody Taylor, those players will still be able to use the number even if they change teams.
Here are some notable players who wore No. 6 in the 2021-22 season:
- LeBron James
- Alex Caruso
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Montrezl Harrell
- Quentin Grimes
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Hamidou Diallo
- Lou Williams
You can see a full list here.
James has worn two different numbers in his NBA career. He wore No. 23 in both stops with the Cavaliers and No. 6 in his time with the Heat. He started his tenure with the Lakers wearing No. 23, but he switched to No. 6 ahead of the 2021-22 season. That opened up the door for Anthony Davis to change back to No. 23, which he wore before he was traded to the Lakers, but he's decided to stick with No. 3.
James previously said that No. 6 has "always been a part of me."
"Six has a lot of meaning to me, not only from my family and numbers and things of that nature to what I believe in and things of that sort — but my mentality doesn't change," James said. "Going out, being an overall basketball player, trying to dominate at all facets of the game, being a great teammate and being a great leader."
