Why LeBron James will be only player in NBA with special patch on his jersey

Michael Kaskey-Blomain

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Why LeBron James will be only player in NBA with special patch on his jersey image

Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James’ jersey will look slightly different than the rest of the players in the NBA for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

Starting with the Lakers matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, James’ jersey will be adorned with a special patch acknowledging his record-setting 23rd season in the league. No other player in history has made it to a 23rd season.

LeBron James gets jersey patch for record-setting 23rd NBA season 

The patch will feature "a silhouette of [James'] pregame chalk toss and three colored stripes representing the franchises he has played for in Cleveland, Miami and L.A.," according to ESPN.

The patches will ultimately serve as collectors’ items, as they will be removed from James’ jersey after every game and sent to Topps to be included in special-edition trading cards. James will wear a different patch on his jersey every game for the remainder of the regular season. 

The league previously added patches earlier this season for rookie debuts and reigning award winners. 

James seems excited about the patches. The four-time champion requested some of the cards from Topps on social media. 

It's fair to wonder why they started James' patch project midway through the season, as opposed to at the onset, but perhaps the idea was conceived recently. Either way, it's a cool concept, and ultimately a way for fans to own a piece of history. 

Some have speculated that the patch could be a hint at James potentially retiring after the current campaign, but that is just a theory, as James has made no definitive decisions regarding his future at this point in time. 

In his 23rd season, James is averaging  21.9 points, 6.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per performance for the Lakers. 

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