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Stephen A Smith Claims LeBron James' Accomplishment With Lakers Not Enough To Retire His Jersey
LeBron James may be one of the best basketball players of all time but Stephen A Smith doesn't believe his jersey should be retired by Lakers.
The NBA and the sports industry as a whole use player’s jersey retirement and their statue construction as tools to recognize players for their outstanding contributions to the team. And there's no denying that it is an honor. However, as is always the case with anything LeBron James, there are differing views on whether the Lakers should retire his jersey.
The seasoned analyst Stephen A. Smith offers his opinion on this in the most recent fan question special episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show. Naturally, Ryan, a fan, asked the question. He wanted to know if LeBron would receive the extra special distinction of having his jersey retired in three different cities.
Smith stated, “He doesn’t get his jersey retired in LA. It’s the Lakers. You just got one championship? One? One?! Look, in the Bubble, it’s hard. He deserves a lot of credit for it, but I don’t think you get your jersey retired because of that. LeBron is LeBron. He’s big-time. Became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history wearing the Lakers uniform. You could make the case for that. He’s a champion in the Lakers uniform, you can make a case for that.”
Smith compared LeBron's contributions to those of Lakers legends like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jerry West, noting their multiple championships and iconic status. He conceded that while one could make a case for retiring LeBron’s jersey, it wouldn't be a shock if it didn't happen. However, Smith firmly stated that LeBron’s jersey should definitely be retired in Miami and Cleveland, given his significant impact in those cities.
It's witty, particularly considering that Jeanie Buss, the owner of the Lakers, has all but acknowledged that LeBron James' jersey will be retired. She stated that becoming a Hall of Famer is a requirement for having a jersey retired by the team. It's safe to say that LeBron James will be a Hall of Famer in the future. Thus, it appears that either No. 23 or No. 6—or perhaps both—will be hanging from the ceiling of Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron hasn’t retired from the game and can still win more championships with the Lakers if they can build a good team around him. The 39-year-old still looks very fit and plays over 35 minutes per game for the Lakers.
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