LeBron can make No. 6 his own

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear No. 23? If you're like me, you think of NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Now, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear No. 6? If Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has his way, it will be his name that enters your mind.

On Monday, James filed the necessary paperwork to switch from No. 23 to No. 6 next season.
But why?

The King said it's a way of paying homage to his hero. In November, he said Jordan should be the only NBA player to ever wear the number and said every NBA player currently donning 23 on their jerseys should also make a number switch.

That seems sincere enough to me. I mean, there has even been talk of switching the NBA logo from Jerry West's image to the Jumpman logo.

James said the reason he chose No. 6 is because he wears it in the Olympics, his first child was born Oct. 6, his second child was born in June and it was the number of his second-favorite player, Julius Erving.

While this may be true, if you were a superstar athlete, wouldn't you want to make your own number as obviously recognizable as Jordan has No. 23?

It would be like NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson driving a racecar with Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 on the side. Yes, it may just be a way for James to get out from under the greatest and most recognizable athlete in the world's shadow.

But what about Bill Russell? He was No. 6, too. Many people have criticized James for overlooking this fact, but there is no way Russell made No. 6 as famous or as recognizable as Jordan did No. 23.

Nor, for that matter, did he make No. 6 as famous or recognizable as James more than likely will. It's hard to doubt James as the second-best player ever to play in the NBA, especially if he wins a few championships down the road.

Cleveland has done an excellent job of surrounding The King with the talent necessary to do just that. Last year the Cavaliers were knocked out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Finals by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

This year, the Cavs look equally as impressive as last year and acquired Shaquille O'Neal to handle Howard in the paint.

Also, the request for a number change should comfort Cavs fans who might be worried James will choose to skip town via free agency.

League rules only require player's to request number changes when they are staying with their current team, not when they switch teams. So, if he plans on leaving Cleveland, why would he file the paperwork?

I like James as much as the next Cavs fan, but I hope he enjoys his new number, one that is a constant reminder that Jordan has won six titles and he has won, well, none.

Jonas Swecker can be contacted at swecker@marshall.edu.