The number 23 will now be displayed on LeBron James’ jersey in more ways than one.
James will begin wearing a jersey patch commemorating his record-setting 23rd NBA season. He’ll debut the patch Monday when the Los Angeles Lakers play the Kings in Sacramento – the site where the league’s all-time leading scorer played his first regular-season game.
The patch, which he’ll wear over his upper right chest for the remainder of the regular season, says “23 NBA Seasons” and features a silhouette of James doing his trademark chalk toss. It also includes colored stripes representing the three NBA teams he has played for – the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
Topps unveiled a jersey patch that LeBron James will wear in honor of his record-breaking 23rd NBA season. The patch will be removed from the jersey after each game and later be inserted into trading cards. (Topps)
After each game, the patch will be removed and later inserted into a Topps trading card. Topps says the Lakers’ equipment manager will remove the patch and date it, with the process being recorded on video. It will then be sent to the Topps production facility in Dallas to be authenticated and inserted.
Topps, in October, began producing NBA-licensed cards for the first time in 16 years. The company then launched the “Debut Patch” worn by NBA rookies in their first game, and gold NBA logos worn by the league’s major award winners – which were later inserted into limited-edition trading cards.
James signed an exclusive trading card and memorabilia deal in 2024 with Fanatics, which acquired Topps in 2022.
He’ll unveil the league’s newest patch Monday in the same city where James made his NBA debut in 2003 — scoring 25 points as an 18-year-old rookie. Now 41-years-old, he returns with 42,601 career points and as the only player in NBA history to reach a 23rd season in the league.
James is averaging 21.9 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds this season. With 46 regular-season games remaining for the Lakers, he enters Monday trailing former Boston Celtics center Robert Parish by 30 games for the most games played in NBA history.
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