LeBron James Requests Michael Jordan’s Jersey be Retired, Pundits Call It Marketing Ploy

LeBron James stands to reap a financial windfall if his one-man campaign to retire Michael Jordan’s No. 23 jersey is successful. Although the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar has adamantly and repeatedly pronounced his desire to relinquish the jersey number he has worn since the 10th grade, in honor of MJ, some speculate that it’s a savvy business ploy that will increase his personal fortunes.

More than a few financial publications speculate that if LeBron changes the number on his jersey to No. 6, he will have two sets of jerseys that will be on sale. His No. 23 jersey would become an immediate collector’s item, commanding considerably higher dollars than a regular NBA jersey. Moreover, switching jerseys would be a boon to merchandising sales in the NBA, and could possibly catapult King James over his NBA rival. James is currently ranked No. 2 behind Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant.

For the record, James says he would wear the No. 6 in honor of his second-favorite player of all time, basketball revolutionary Julius “Dr. J” Erving. Also, LeBron says, “My first child was born on Oct. 6. It’s my Olympic number [and] my second child was born in June” the sixth month of the year.

Well, what’s next? Number 32? Lebron said that he first wore No. 32 in high school because Dr. J wore that number when he came to fame as a player for the New Jersey franchise during his American Basketball Association days. Dr. J, the man who made the authoritative dunk a permanent part of NBA culture and greatly influenced Jordan, later switched to his iconic No. 6 jersey when he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after the ABA folded in the mid-1970s.

Most NBA pundits seriously doubt James will get his wish to retire Jordan’s jersey league-wide. League officials said he would have to convince the owner of each team to go along. He probably will have a better chance of playing for the Cleveland Browns as a wide receiver — which he says he would excel at, by the way.

Besides, the timing is curious, since he will become a free agent at year’s end. There is an avalanche of speculation as to where James could go at the end of the 2009-10 NBA season. His jersey change could possibly coincide with a team change. Remember, also, James’ aspirations to become a billion-dollar business enterprise. He likely cannot accomplish such a feat living in his hometown of northeast Ohio without some strategic financial business dealings. –terry shropshire