On Thursday afternoon, the NBA announced it has retired the No. 6 to honor Bill Russell, who passed away late last month at the age of 88.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a press release. “Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”
Shortly after the news was announced, fans were wondering what that meant for the players – like LeBron James – who wear the No. 6 jersey. According to a new report, they’ve been “grandfathered” in and will be allowed to wear the jersey.
“Players who currently wear No. 6 – such as Lakers‘ LeBron James – will be grandfathered,” NBA insider Shams Charania said.
LeBron has switched between the No. 23 jersey and the No. 6 jersey throughout his career. He recently switched back to No. 6, which he wore with the Miami Heat.
We’ll have to wait and see if he sticks with No. 6 or makes a change.