LeBron James has been wearing No. 9 during Philadelphia 76ers practices for a very specific reason, and it has nothing to do with a change in his usual number.
James typically wears No. 6 during practice, a number he has used regularly with Team USA and during his time with the Miami Heat. However, the number holds special significance in Philadelphia because it is retired for franchise legend Julius Erving.
That led James to switch to No. 9 during training camp, with the number only being a temporary choice. When the regular season begins, the 41-year-old will return to No. 23.
LeBron James is respecting a Philadelphia 76ers legend
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, James made the decision out of respect for Erving and the significance of No. 6 within the 76ers organisation.
Erving wore No. 6 during his legendary Philadelphia career, and the franchise retired the number in his honour. James therefore opted not to use it even for training camp practices.
No. 9 also has a personal connection to James. He wore it during his high school football career and during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, which was his Olympic debut with Team USA.
He threw down an alley-oop from Tyrese Maxey, connected with teammates throughout the scrimmage and even knocked down a long three-pointer as Philadelphia offered supporters an early glimpse of its new-look team.
James is now preparing for his 24th NBA season after joining Philadelphia during the offseason in pursuit of another championship. The Sixers open their regular season against the New York Knicks on October 20.
For now, No. 9 will remain a small but notable part of James’ first weeks in Philadelphia. Once the games count, expect the familiar No. 23 to return.