WATCH: Matt Barnes believes Lakers should honor LeBron James with a statue, but not before Kobe Bryant
Former Lakers reserve addresses whether LeBron James deserves a statue, says not before Kobe Bryant gets one.
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LeBron James should be honored with a statue outside the Crypto.com Arena, according to former NBA player Matt Barnes. However, he insists that the Los Angeles Lakers should focus on getting a statue of the late Kobe Bryant placed before anything. Barnes made these comments during an interview with TMZ Sports, weeks after LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and won an NBA title with the Lakers.
The former NBA journeyman is all on board for his former teammate to be honored with a statue. He also thinks that the Lakers will eventually find a way to honor James with a statue. The former Lakers forward acknowledged that the four-time NBA champion is an all-time great and would be a worthy recipient of such a tribute.
“Sh*t, they gotta worry about getting that Kobe statue up first,” Barnes said. “But I mean obviously, LeBron is an all-time great, so I’m sure they’ll find a way to honor him with a statue.”
“I don’t really know the politics of getting a statue at [Crypto.com Arena], but one championship, scoring title, we’ll have to see… I don’t see why not,” the former Lakers player concluded.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will join other Lakers greats, including Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and legendary announcer Chick Hearn if they do get a statue.
Although the Lakers retired both of Bryant’s numbers, there has been no official announcement about a statue of him outside the arena. After his untimely passing in January 2020, Mamba has been remembered in a number of ways throughout the world, including murals and basketball courts with themed decor. At the scene of their terrible helicopter accident, sculptor Dan Medina also placed a temporary statue of Kobe and his daughter, Gigi.
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Shaquille O’Neal Makes Case for LeBron James Statue at Lakers Arena
Despite not having his best time as a Laker right now, LeBron James has already managed to add another championship to his already amazing resume. By taking great care of his body and refining his skills, he has managed to produce at the highest level after all these phenomenal years.
The King’s accomplishments to the franchise, in the opinion of another iconic Lakers player, Shaquille O’Neal, merit a statue outside the team’s arena.
“He did win a championship with the Lakers,” said O’Neal. “A lot of people say that don’t count and if you can’t count his then you can’t count Mr. Tim Duncan’s bubble championship. That’s right, I said it! If you gonna count Tim Duncan’s bubble championship, you have to count LeBron’s.”
NBA fans wonder whether or not the Lakers’ title run in 2020 will be their last with James leading. Nonetheless, the team has made a number of transactions this summer in the hopes of extending their window of chance to win another championship for at least a few more years.
Regardless of what obstacles the Lakers have experienced, there is no questioning LeBron’s influence on the franchise and his position in NBA history. Whether or not he’s honored with a statue outside the Crypto.com arena, his accomplishments in the sport are undeniable. 92
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Vivek Yadav
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