The Los Angeles Lakers, a franchise rich in history, have honored several of their legendary players with statues outside Crypto.com Arena. Following the recent unveiling of Kobe Bryant’s statues, the discussion has turned to whether LeBron James deserves a similar tribute. Shaquille O’Neal, a Lakers legend himself, has weighed in on the matter.
Los Angeles Lakers Great Thinks LeBron James Should Get A Crypto Statue
“LeBron broke the record, and he did it as a Laker,” O’Neal said of James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. “Would I oppose him having a statue in Los Angeles? No, I wouldn’t… But he won a championship with the Lakers, and a lot of people try to discredit it. If that one doesn’t count, then you can’t count Mr. Duncan’s bubble championship either. That’s right. I said it! If we’re counting Tim Duncan’s lockout-year championship, then you have to count LeBron’s too.”
O’Neal, whose own statue graces the arena’s walkway, highlighted James’s significant achievement of becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer while wearing a Lakers jersey, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Alongside O’Neal and Bryant, other Lakers greats, including Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, have been immortalized with statues. The late Chick Hearn, the Lakers’ longtime broadcaster, also received this honor.
When considering the accomplishments of these Lakers legends, James’s contributions appear to warrant similar recognition. He led the Lakers to an NBA championship in his second season with the franchise, a significant achievement in his tenure.