Pistons' Ebuka Okorie salutes LeBron James with jersey number choice

After wearing No. 1 at Stanford, Ebuka Okorie will have a new jersey number next season with the Detroit Pistons, as it is retired to honor Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups. Okorie wore No. 2 at the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before changing to No. 1 last season as a freshman with the Cardinal.

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After wearing No. 1 at Stanford, Ebuka Okorie will have a new jersey number next season with the Detroit Pistons, as it is retired to honor Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups.

Okorie wore No. 2 at the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before changing to No. 1 last season as a freshman with the Cardinal. With No. 1 unavailable and No. 2 occupied by All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, Okorie was forced to change upon joining the Pistons.

The 17th overall pick ultimately chose to wear No. 23 with the Pistons as a nod to LeBron James, who, along with Kyrie Irving, was his favorite player growing up. He is the 21st player in franchise history to wear it and the first to do so since Jaden Ivey.

"To be honest, not really," Okorie said when asked if he chose No.

23 because of James, via WDIV-Local 4. "I didn't have a large bunch of numbers to pick from. But yeah, you can say that."

Okorie was an Associated Press All-American honorable mention last season, averaging 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 35.4% from 3-point range. He led the ACC in scoring, while ranking seventh among all players in the country.

The 19-year-old logged five appearances with the Pistons in summer league, averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals. He scored 14 or more points in every game, including a 27-point performance on July 17 in a loss to the Miami Heat.

Okorie was highly touted in the draft this year for his scoring and ability to pull up from virtually anywhere on the court. He showcased those traits and more last month in Las Vegas, and the team is eager to see him take the court for his rookie campaign.

Throughout August, Rookie Wire is looking at every first-round pick and why each player selected their respective jersey number as they make the jump to the NBA