Mark Jackson gives a unique explanation of why LeBron deserves a statue in Los Angeles.
NBA teams commemorate players who once played for them by organizing events in their honor or building structures. At some point, LeBron James is bound to have one put up in honor of his name. However, the question is where.
Bron played for three NBA teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He has also gifted each franchise with at least one championship. Big-name players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant, among others, are getting celebrated in the form of statues, and LBJ is bound to get one.
When asked about it on the “Come and Talk 2 Me” podcast, former NBA player and head coach Mark Jackson hardly flinched when he responded to a question regarding LeBron getting a statue.
“It’s one question you don’t answer right away. You think about …. clearly in Cleveland. Not just a statue, name the building after him. What the heck, Miami? Obviously, Dwyane Wade got his, and Udonis Haslem got his number retired, well-deserved. I believe that LeBron James will have a statue because of his accomplishments in a Heat uniform,” the 1988 NBA Rookie of the Year said.
Does he deserve one in LA?
While the accomplishments of the four-time NBA MVP are unprecedented for the Cavs and the Heat, the argument now is whether he deserves to have a statue erected in Hollywood.
In Jackson’s opinion, putting up a statue of Bron in Los Angeles is also well-deserved. However, Mark had a different explanation for why the purple and gold should do so.
“I don’t compare him to the greats that have statues outside the arena. I compare him to when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers; nobody thought they winning the championship. He delivered a championship, and who knows what the future holds. He deserves that moment. He’s making history every time he’s scoring a basket in a Lakers’ uniform by being the all-time leading scorer and he’s adding to that. I believe he deserves a statue in all three places,” the 58-year-old retired player stated.
Bron deserves a statue in LA
If Jackson’s words are not enough, then perhaps the words of a former teammate from the 2016 Cavaliers champion team can help. Richard Jefferson detailed the “Chosen One” accomplishments on the “Road Trippin,” achievements that would be hard to top, taken altogether.
“You win a championship, you win a Finals MVP, you win the first In-Season Tournament, you break the scoring record, you’re the first to score 40,000 points, all in a Lakers uniform. Fu** out of here, I’m a put that statue up for that man,” Jefferson quipped.
The thing about LeBron is that he isn’t done playing yet. And the more he sees action for the Lakers or possibly any other team moving forward, the harder it is to fathom any player at least reaching what he has done in his NBA career.