While the Los Angeles Lakers underwent several changes during the offseason, namely signing LeBron James in free agency, Josh Hart saw a new development on a personal level. After wearing jersey No. 5 in his rookie season, Hart switched to No. 3 moving forward.
It’s the number Hart wore at Villanova University, where he won an NCAA title in 2016. It wasn’t an option to him, however, after being selected with the last pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft and traded to the Lakers.
While Hart went on to have an impressive rookie season that thrust him into the conversation as being a member of the Lakers’ talented young core, he nonetheless capitalized on the opportunity to change.