Superstar Austin Reaves on kit – No. 15 🇺🇸
Austin Reaves rÒ½veals concrete stance on whether LeBron James deserves Lakers statue
When the dust settles, LeBron James will be recognized as one of the most iconic figures in American sports. Such recognition is sometimes accompanied by a plethora of sculptures. But has he done enough to earn a place in the Los Angeles Lakers’ hall of fаme, where his likeness would be permanently displayed in front of Crypto.com Arena?
Austin Reaves, one of his teammates, agrees. Team USA’s player said to Sports Illustrated in the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup, “He came to LA at a time where ‘it’ wasn’t having much success and 2-3 years put a banner in the rafters, so why not?” “He is the best player in the history of the game, in my opinion.”
Although Reaves’s loyalty to James was never in question, he does make a case for why the Lakers should honor him with a statue. Despite Kobe Bryant’s contributions to the team’s early 2010s title run, the Lakers struggled for much of the rest of the decade. It’s baffling that the squad never had a 30-win season between 2013 and 2017. Fans of a team with deep roots in the NBA’s development and history felt like time had stood still during that losing streak.
A severely disappointing 37-45 season marred by injuries followed LeBron James’ arrival in 2018-19. But his superstar play, along with Anthony Davis’s addition, propelled Los Angeles back to the top the following season.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has had his ups and downs since winning the championship, but when healthy, he is still among the league’s best. Earlier in the discussion, former Lakers star James Worthy stepped in, stating that James had not been with the organization long enough to merit a statue. Although there is a vast roster of Purple and Gold greats, the four-time Finals MVP stands out.
James revitalized what had become one of the league’s most uninspiring teams. That’s good enough for the supporters in Los Angeles. Whether or whether a bronze statue is necessary is still up for debate. He still has a chance to put an end to this argument.