The Los Angeles Lakers‘ plans to celebrate LeBron James upon his comeback have been discussed. Given his contributions to the squad since entering in 2018, it is anticipated that the four-time winner will be honored with a statue. Not everyone, though, agrees that James and other franchise icons should be honored with statues.
Since joining the team, James earned one championship and led the team to multiple playoff appearances. He also led the team to win the NBA’s first In-Season Tournament. With those accomplishments, some think he should have a statue outside of the Crypto.com Arena.
Shaquille O’Neal, a former Los Angeles Lakers player, talked with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson regarding James’ request to have a statue created in honor of his tenure with the team.
“LeBron broke the (scoring) record, and he did it as a Laker,” O’Neal said. “Would I oppose him having a statue in Los Angeles? No, I wouldn’t. If they want to give him a statue, I’d be fine with that. He’s a great player, with great ability, and he did what he was supposed to do as a Laker.
Shaq:
“LeBron broke the record, and he did it as a Laker. 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… pic.twitter.com/XlTwCOKowz
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 30, 2025
Some, however, question his accomplishments in Los Angeles, particularly the 2020 championship he won. Since the NBA had just resumed play after being suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of fans believe that the title is invalid. The legend argued with the fans about whether James’ championship was legitimate.
“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.”
Dwyane Wade compares the Los Angeles Lakers star to Michael Jordan
Dwyane Wade, another former teammate of James’, made some remarks regarding him. However, what Wade said about his close friend is not a critique. “What the Los Angeles Lakers star has been doing for more than 20 years makes the GOAT conversations difficult,” the three-time champion said.
“MJ averaged 20 when he came back, and he was still very good, but LeBron has stayed at a level that we haven’t seen,” Wade said. “The conversations of greatness, he makes it hard. All the older guys before were like, ‘It’s about Wilt, it’s about Kareem, it’s about these guys,’ but because of his consistency, I mean, he’s averaging 30 points per game in his 20th year in the league. I’m just happy that I get the opportunity to be part of his greatness in any way I can, but we’re all witnesses, right? So we’re going to see where he ends up.”
Wade has often referred to Jordan as his greatest of all time. However, it is challenging to discuss who the true GOAT is given James’ ability to play at an exceptional level.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
