Lebron needs to shut up. Just because you give something up that doesn't mean others have to do it to.
I think it's a classy move from a guy I never thought was classy. Tattooing "King" on your back is too much when you're in your first year. But, I have to give him props for considering this move. Why did Kobe choose #24 by the way? Was it to 1-up MJ? I hope not.
So instead of wearing MJ's number, he'll be wearing the number of the most innovative wing player ever (Dr. J) and the greatest winner ever (Russell)? Honestly, Jordan is the best SG ever, but his perceived impact on the game is pretty exaggerated. He really didn't do anything innovative. Do many wing players in today's game idolize him? Yes. But other than being a dominant player, he didn't bring anything new to the game.
Yeah, this is just a ploy to explain why he won't be wearing that number next year, whilst finagling a little respect from his idol MJ. The real reason is that Calvin Murphy already retired it, so he won't be able to use the number starting in 2010.
Classy? He's been wearing it for 7 years, it took that long to think of respect? LBJ is just going to change jersey for better selling, and he's finding an excuse.
as far as jordna not doing anything innovative, i think ginobili, parker, so on can beg to differ...jordan was arguably the greatest of all time, but that is just arguably, what his real impact was that he was the first global star and took the game into a billion dollar business that it is today, lebron kobe all of them are stars adn sell the way they do, the olympics as big as they were, bc of jordan, he made the game an international game, those guys ginobili parker even talk about how they would stay up late to watch him play and no matter where you went in the world you coudl here his name, so he created exposure and global awareness of teh game to heights that it had never even became close to, and that i think is why he is considered so special more so than other arguabl goat
Just because he decides to give up #23 that doesn't mean every team in the NBA should retire the number, he may make whatever decision he wants, but if it's like that, why not retire #32, #33, #44, #7 etc. too? That just can't be done, the people who want to do it may freely do it, but LeBron can't make every team in the NBA retire the number.
Good point. This was one of the first things I thought of after LeBron announced he was changing jersey numbers. Anyway, there was a list of players that currently wear number 23 (around 10 or so), and I don't think they're all going to change their numbers just because LeBron said so...
I bet if Lebron not going to get the NBA retire the #23, he will try to Cleveland retire jordan's number, so he gets an excuse and change numbers. Im not sure, but I think Lebron is not longer in the top 3 of sales in jerseys, so he wants to be up there again, so he needs an excuse to change his number. they made Jerry West the NBA logo, so I think they would retire her number first, but I dont like retiring a number in the whole league.
Because saying Kobe rode Shaq's coattail to those Championship rings he has to me means Kobe didn't contribute to those titles which is untrue. I just don't get why people say Kobe rode this coattail to a title. I never hear people say Manu or Tony Parker rode Duncan's coattail to a title but it is said a lot about Kobe and he was the 2nd best player of all those Championship teams and played a HUGE part in them winning.
