Starting with Monday night's road game against the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be wearing a unique patch on his jersey.
The patch will commemorate James as he continues his historic 23rd season in the NBA. The "23 Seasons" patch will be removed after each game, and some will become ultra-rare commodities, including in Topps trading card parks.
The patch has sparked further online speculation that James' legendary career is coming to a close, perhaps as soon as this summer.
BREAKING: LeBron James will wear a special-edition 23rd season jersey patch beginning tonight in Sacramento; the city where he began his legendary career in 2003.
— Topps (@Topps) January 12, 2026
The patches will be removed from his jersey after each game, and some will be placed into ultra-rare trading cards. Pic.twitter.com/zzOEJyiFUK
MORE: Bronny James already shares an NBA record with 91 career points
One fan on X wrote that the patch initiative "sounds like something someone would do for their last season," and another said "it's feeling more like the final year."
"This is amazing until you realize why this might be happening," wrote another fan.
The patch's introduction on Monday serves as a tribute to James' first-ever NBA game on Oct. 29, 2003, when he played in Sacramento as a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Few could have predicted then that James would become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, a four-time champion and one of the game's greatest players.
And even fewer know for sure what the King's plans are following this season, which could be his last in the NBA -- or not.
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