While LeBron James will recover number 6 for the coming season, the 23 is found… vacant. And while many believed Anthony Davis was going to jump at the chance to reclaim his favorite New Orleans-era number, Unibrow himself has explained why he refused.
Ah, the numbers LeBron James and Anthony Davis, one hell of a story. AD had not yet set foot in Los Angeles in 2019 that, already, the King offered to give him his 23 as a welcome gift. A nice maneuver, but ultimately rebuffed by the league because of a problem of delays.
Fast forward to this off-season, a few days after the elimination of the Lakers against the Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Via Shams Charania, we learned that LeBron had decided to put his number 23 in the closet for good, recovering the number 6 he wore successfully in Miami. The way seemed therefore clear for Unibrow… which however declined.
During a stream which he is accustomed to, the strong-winger of the Lakers, who takes advantage of the offseason to offer his body a well-deserved rest, explained the reason for this choice: he wants the number 3, who ‘he has been sporting in the City of Angels since his arrival, being withdrawn by the franchise within a few years.
The plan is for number 3 to hang from the ceiling of Staples Center, bro.
The Angelinos are among the franchises that have the most shirts withdrawn, but they are also among the most demanding. Davis knows the effort it takes to see his jersey take pride of place atop Staples Center, and he got off to a good start by winning a title with the number 3.
Quite logically, therefore, AD intends to solidify its history and its legend with the 3 behind, to maximize its chances of achieving its goal. It’s certainly off to a good start, but one more ring wouldn’t hurt the case to join the Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and others …
Anthony Davis has definitely turned the page on issue 23, even now while it’s available. It is therefore indeed with the same jersey, hit with the number 3, that the former NOLA will appear next year for the resumption.
