LeBron James is returning to his numerical roots.
He announced on his Twitter account on July 27 that he’ll wear No. 23 this season with the Cavaliers.
There was much speculation about what number he’d adopt after signing with the Cavaliers on July 11.
The 10-time All-Star forward wore No. 6 for his four seasons with the Miami Heat.
But after picking the Cavaliers in free agency, he decided to change. He went back to 23, a number he wore in his first seven seasons in Cleveland from 2003 to 2010.
Some thought he might adopt No. 32, a number he wore in his first year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.
Another line of thinking was that the NBA might want him to pick a number different than 23 so fans would have to buy new jerseys.
James’ Cavaliers jersey was No. 1 in sales at NBA.com.
James, 29, signed a two-year, $42.1 million deal with the Cavaliers. He can become a free agent after one season.
However, the four-time Most Valuable Player said he wants to finish his career with the Cavaliers in his essay on SI.com.
Quick shots
— Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love informed USA Basketball on July 26 that he was withdrawing from the USA National team this summer because of all the trade speculation. ‘The fact is we can only look to the players we have available,’ Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a prepared statement. ‘Our job is to get the job done with our very, very deep roster, and we’re anxious to get things started.’ The Cavaliers have been trying to trade for Love for weeks.
— Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving signed a five-year, $90 million extension on July 10. The last year of the deal, for the 2019-20 season, is a player option.
