Entering Monday, January 12, the Lakers are on a small two-game losing streak. Through 36 games, the Lakers are 23-13. That is fifth in the Western Conference.
Forty-one-year-old LeBron James is in his 23rd professional season, a new league record. On Monday, Topps announced that James will be wearing a commemorative patch on his jersey. He’ll be wearing it on the road vs. the Kings, the place where James started his career 23 years ago. The patch LeBron wears after each game will be removed. Some of those patches will make their way to what Topps called “ultra-rare trading cards.”
Topps is honoring LeBron James with a jersey patch commemorate his 23rd season
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.
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
— Topps (@Topps) January 12, 2026
The 2025-26 season has been a challenge for Lakers’ LeBron James. He’s started 19 of the team’s 36 games. James missed the first 14 games of the year due to lingering sciatica on his right side. It’s an injury LeBron will manage all season. In the 19 games James has appeared in, he is doing what he can for Los Angeles. He’s averaging 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. On Monday, January 12, the Lakers are on the road in Sacramento.
Los Angeles is set to face the Kings at 10:00 p.m. EST. In that game, Lakers’ LeBron James will wear a commemorative patch. It features James doing his iconic chalk toss silhouette. In the background, it has four colors. Representing the patch James has taken in his career. It features navy blue, “Heat red”, wine, and “Lakers gold.” After each game, the commemorative patch will be removed from the jersey. Certain patches will be placed in what Topps called “ultra-rare trading cards.”
LeBron James will wear a special edition “23 Seasons” jersey patch for the rest of the season.@Topps will be placing select patches from games into rare trading cards.
James will begin wearing patch featuring his “chalk toss” tonight in Sacramento, where he made his NBA debut pic.twitter.com/VufO2KdwTx
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) January 12, 2026
Monday night’s game on the road vs. the Kings was not a random selection. That’s where James began his professional career in 2003 with Cleveland. With a 23-13 record, the Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference. The team is currently without the services of Austin Reaves. He is dealing with a calf injury. NBA analysts have suggested the Lakers trade Reaves for a player like Dillon Brooks.
Los Angeles has struggled on defense all season. Someone like Brooks could immediately come in and make a difference for Los Angeles defensively. Are the Lakers willing to part ways with Reaves and break up the roster? LeBron James will have a say in those decisions. The 41-year-old wants to maximize the time he has left.
