It will be interesting to see how the Los Angeles Lakers handle the legacy of LeBron James after he essentially hangs up his sneakers. James has spent the last eight seasons with the Lakers, and he brought a title to LA in 2020, which means he should already be a franchise legend in the eyes of the team's fans.
It remains to be seen whether this will result in a statue of James being installed outside Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers. But renowned pundit Colin Cowherd doesn't believe James will get any from the team, especially when compared to other greats from the franchise who have been immortalized.
"I think if you ask Laker fans about a statue of LeBron outside of crypto, it's not going to be it at all. People think of statues in front of crypto. Kobe five rings. Jerry West six as an executive, and then nine Finals appearances. Magic five titles, Shaq three, Kareem five, Pat Riley several. Chick Hearn 30-plus years of broadcasting," Cowherd said in the latest episode of his podcast, The Herd. Said.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phvhipOGJ24[/embed]
Cowherd compared James' role with the Lakers to that of a mentor, unlike those who came before him who could be considered family.
"Is he really family? LeBron feels more like a consultant. He adds value, a fresh set of eyes, solves problems, and then when he leaves and the contract is done, you say, OK, let's meet again. No tears shed, no crying, it's not family, and that's the downside of the dynamic. LeBron is not the Lakers family," Cowherd said.
If anything, at least according to Cowherd, James deserves a statue outside Rocket Mortgage Arena as well as the Kasia Center for his contributions to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.
"Miami, definitely. Cleveland, absolutely," Cowherd said. "The first sentence with LeBron is Cleveland's best ever, highest points, part of the Heat."
Los Angeles is definitely Kobe territory, and if James receives the same recognition as the late, great Black Mamba, it could generate mixed emotions from the fan base — especially if the reactions to Bam Adebayo's 83-point night are indicative of how much Bryant has regional fans.
