LeBron James Jersey Change Makes Me Miss My First Favorite Laker
LeBron James is going back to wearing number six in the 2021-22 season. He has worn number 23 the past three seasons with the Lakers, and now he's calling back to his number six that he wore with the Miami Heat and in his movie "Space Jam."
As a millennial Lakers fan, James wearing number six hits me a little different. Anyone who grew up in the 90's a Laker fan surely has to recall one of the more underrated Lakers. This player was my first favorite Laker.
Eddie Jones.
In my memory bank there are a lot of evenings in my driveway, sometime around 1997, taking jumpers and shouting, "EDDIE JONES!" That Jones/Nick Van Exel era may not be an era where the Lakers won titles, but it was a fun era to watch. My earliest frustrated Laker memories are me shouting at the TV, "pass the ball to Eddie! Eddie is THE ANSWER!" I also recall playing "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside" for Nintendo 64 and padding Eddie Jones stats consistently, while creating a Laker super-team, because why not.
Many forget that Jones was also a mentor to Kobe Bryant, and in many ways could be called the first Mamba. Jones was a terrific defender, even receiving praise from Michael Jordan. Jones also was a high flyer, more than most people remember I think. He could dunk on literally everyone: and he did. Take a peek. (The music is NSFW but it is perfect)
Also please check out this finger roll. This is a layup from a foot inside the three point line. This is straight out of NBA Jam. Absurd.
Did we mention defense? The quality of this video leaves something to be desired, but Eddie Jones was probably best known for his defense. He consistently played the passing lanes as well as anyone this side of Dwyane Wade. He was also consistently in the top 10 in steals in the league when he was a Laker, and afterwards.
Last video I will post. Check out Jones dunking on 7'6 Shawn Bradley. Twice!
LeBron James will of course be the number six that most people remember. He is an icon of this era and would be from any era, but for this Laker fan, number six will always remind me of Eddie Jones. As they say, real Laker fans remember.
