LeBron James Won’t Make More Money By Switching Jersey to No. 6
When news came out yesterday that LeBron had officially filed the proper paperwork to switch his jersey number from 23 to 6 for next season (in deference to Michael Jordan), comment boards lit up with posters saying that James purely doing it for the money by selling more jerseys. Which may be the case, despite the fact that Darren Rovell just pointed out that even if he sells millions more official NBA jerseys at retail, LeBron doesn’t see a penny more of his cut.
From Rovell:
In the NBA, unlike the NFL, the money made from jersey sales and other licensed products has been shared equally since the 1995 group licensing agreement was put together by the union.
That means that LeBron’s teammate Anderson Varejao makes as much as LeBron, even though sales of James’ jersey ranks second in the league and Varejao isn’t close to the top 50.
NFL players do get cut a check based on how well their jersey sells.
Now, if LeBron is selling more jerseys than anyone else in the NBA, it boosts his overall earning power in other marketing deals that he and his team are constructing. Either way, Varejao and the rest of League should be thanking him every day for the switch because they’re going to sell a ton of the new jerseys.
Check out Darren Rovell’s full post HERE.
Check out these other stories:
- Dear LeBron, It’s Time to Dunk
- John Lucas: The Cavs Tanked the ’02-’03 Season to Score LeBron James
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March 3rd, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Bill says:
Varejao should be thanking Lebron everyday anyways.
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Ruhong says:
This could just be an ego move though. LeBron wants to be the best, even in jersey sales.
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Heckler says:
i guess you knick fans praying for LeBron can forget about it. he cemented his role in staying in cleveland; on a 3yr deal ofcourse.
i say this because, if a player switches teams via trade or free agency, they can take whatever number is available with the new team.
but…
if a player, like lebron just did, wants to change their jersey number with their current team, they need league office approval.
why would lebron send in a request to the league to switch his jersey if knows he could get #6 with any other team if he left as a free agent?!!?
so…
by doing the league request, it ENSURES lebron will re-sign with the cleveland cavs
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
egypt says:
yo dime its a little more specific…. that cut that you get isn’t equal, it goes up the longer you are in the league i.e. Juwan Howard and Stackhouse are ecstatic right now…
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:13 pm
ProphetGK says:
Lol why doesn’t he go with 24 just to screw Kobe?
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:17 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ Heckler – can’t wear 23 in Chicago.
I’m still annoyed that Bron wants to give love to Mike by puttin down his number…and pickin up Bill Russell and Dr. J’s numbers?
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:20 pm
BiGShoTBoB says:
I think he should have went with 25…Kobe is one after Jordan. Bron should be one after Kobe.
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Gabriel Brogden says:
It’s fitting.
He’s the new and improved SMALL FORWARD.
DR J 2.0
Millenium Erving
It DOES kinda fit though.
So if he’s switching his number out of deference to MJ, is this ‘disrespect’ to Dr J???
Maybe he’s teasing the NY fans…didn’t Doc play for NY???
That’s right, hed DID. They were the Nets though.
Well now the Nets are NJ – soon to be Brooklyn – so maybe he’ll be the new SF of the new New York pro ball squad. Him and Shawn Carter are BFF, right???
LOL
Seriously though, all of this No. 6 talk got me thinking about behind-the-basket-reverse-finger-rolls on legends named KAREEM or nasty-windmill-in-game-dunks on ral defensive specialists named COOPER.
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Heckler says:
@ K Dizzle–
yeah. no shit.
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:38 pm
LakeShow84 says:
I was listening to the announcer last night and they brought up an interesting point..
Lebron is making all this hoopla about what Jordan did for the game (which is comendable) but then dude is going to change his number to 6??
Which happens to be Bill Russell’s #.. Now if you want to talk about what Jordan did for the GAME thats coo but look at what Russell did for YOUR OWN HERITAGE.. Lebron can be such a tool sometimes..
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
abpin says:
LeBron’s gonna be switching teams anyway, so if it were for jersey sales, switching numbers wouldn’t matter.
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Mike Mihalow says:
As long as Chicago has #23 retired, LeBron’s gonna have to switch numbers next season anyway.
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
karizmatic says:
I don’t think Lebron is doing that for the money anyway.
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Reno Hightower says:
@#3
Exactly. He will be a Cav.
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:46 pm
egypt says:
@14…. u can’t keep your options open??
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Jordi says:
Why not go 25, one over kobe?
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Mark says:
Respect to the forerunners aside, it’s a PR move. The man is all about money, and he’s earning it from people like us. So criticize him all you want, he’s getting paid.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:14 am
Freezy says:
@ #17
Word
@ #2
Jordan was the same way, he wanted to dominate in everything, that’s y he even participated in the 3point contest once but Lebron seems to want to be the best not just in bball but in making money
In my opinion, i like that he’s changing his number cos it seperates him further from being an heir to Jordan. I don’t think there ever will be a player that matches MJ so in the distant future, when people look back at his career, he shud be Lebron #6 not Lebron #23 part 2.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:17 am
rlf says:
We all know that next year he’s going to have the #1 jersey and Kobe will be #2.
That’s what Lebron wants. He cannot dethrone Kobe from that #1 spot, unless he changes numbers.
Which you might say it’s what Kobe did. But nope, Kobe was number one except one year.
March 4th, 2010 at 3:23 am
EN FUEGO says:
LeBron must really be full of himself. First, it was 23 like MJ and now its 6 like Russell. That’s two of the greatest and winningest players right there.
Until he wins a ring, he should wear the number ZERO for now.
March 4th, 2010 at 4:01 am
stupid says:
Cleveland…where sucking on Lebron’s balls happen
March 4th, 2010 at 6:40 am
Austin Burton says:
All due respect to Russell and Dr. J, but consider that LeBron grew up watching Jordan, so that is his Holy Grail. I don’t think he means any disrespect to Russell or Erving.
Again, people will take this as an opportunity to bash LeBron (like they take everything), but I don’t think it’s that deep. He grew up watching MJ, he just saw MJ inducted into the H.O.F., he’s probably just swept up in a Jordan mood and wanted to do what he felt was right.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:08 am
RC says:
It’s just a number guys geez. A lot of players wore number 6. It’s not like it will help him win more games or perform better. It’s a personal preference.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:57 am
chris says:
For all the sudden Bill Russell supporters, the #6 was the number that was assigned to LBJ for the Olympics. So there is some history here, it’s not like he just said, “screw Russell, I’m going with #6.” I also read that his son was born on the 6th (of whatever month), but I don’t know if that’s true. Either way, if Dr. J can wear #6 after Russell, LBJ certainly can.
And for whomever suggested going with 25, the Cavs already retired that one in honor of Mark Price.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:59 am
sh!tfaced says:
23. 6. 25. Who gives a crap. It’s just a freakin’ number like RC said. It’s still a business move (damn good too lol) any way you look at it, no matter what they say.
The number that really matters here is the $,$$$,$$$ millions…
March 7th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Charlotte Press Release Service says:
I love such excellent business way ! So great !