A glimpse of the Philadelphia 76ers' training camp was met with plenty of excitement, but also generated an important question: Why is LeBron James wearing No. 9 on his practice jersey?
When the Sixers announced the signing of LeBron back in July, the team confirmed that he would be wearing No. 23 during his first season with the franchise. When James went through media day, hundreds of pictures were snapped of him rocking the number.
But when LeBron lined up for action throughout his first week as a member of the Sixers, he had a No. 9 jersey on. Well, the mystery is over, and the explanation makes plenty of sense.
The reason behind LeBron's practice jersey choice
Those who have followed LeBron closely over the years might've known about his dual-number identity at times, but James liked to wear No. 6 at practice in the past, while still rocking 23 on game nights. It's sort of a tribute to his Olympic number.
But while with the Sixers, James is paying respect to a franchise legend, Julius Erving. According to The Stein Line's Jake Fischer, James flipped to No. 9 since No. 6 is retired for Julius Erving. It might be just practice, but James clearly wants to respect the history of the franchise.
Erving didn't start his NBA career with the Sixers, but he finished there, spending more than a decade with the team. Over his 11-year stretch with the 76ers, Erving appeared in 836 games during the regular season. He posted averages of 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He was an All-Star every year and led the 76ers to the playoffs each time.
Erving helped the 76ers secure a championship in 1983. That was the last time they won it all. LeBron came to the 76ers to help Philadelphia officially end the drought.
While Erving more than likely would've been supportive of James coming to the club and wearing the number during practice sessions, the 22-time NBA All-Star didn't even want to think about it. With much respect to the game, James showed the 76ers that he wants to come and add to their history--not mess with it.
The four-time NBA Champion is on the hunt for No. 5 at 41 years old. After wrapping up a stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron considered several organizations over the summer. The Sixers stood out as the team with the best shot to help him accomplish one of his final goals before he calls it a career.
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