Few people are more familiar with the inherent championship expectations that come with playing for the Los Angeles Lakers than former guard Byron Scott. Scott spent the vast majority of his 14-year NBA career with the iconic organization and won three titles as a Laker as well.
He said that current Lakers star forward LeBron James doesn’t deserve a statue outside Crypto.com Arena unless he helps the organization win another championship. James led the Lakers to a title in 2020, but Los Angeles hasn’t advanced past the Western Conference Finals since then.
“No,” Scott said. “No, no statue. One championship in six, seven years — I don’t know how many years he’s been in L.A. right now, but I think if he gets another one then he has a chance. But right now, if you look at the players that have statues in front of the Crypto.com, these are long lifers.
“They’ve been with the Lakers for almost their entire career, and they’ve had multiple championships. I think the only one that didn’t is probably Jerry West. But other than that — Jerry West spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s the logo for a reason. So, right now at this particular point — and I’m a big LeBron James fan for what he’s been able to do on and off the court — but statue? No.”
It’s possible that the coming campaign will be James’ swan song in a Lakers uniform and thus his last chance to win the franchise another championship. James will get paid more than $52 million in the 2025-26 season, but he is on track to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026.
If the coming season goes on to be James’ final act as a Laker, hopefully he can stay out of harm’s way during the team’s pursuit of the 2026 title. Three of James’ first four seasons in Los Angeles were marred by injuries, as he suited up in more than 56 contests in only one of those campaigns. But on the bright side, he did appear in 70 of the Lakers’ 82 games in the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers don’t exactly stand out as clear favorites to represent the Western Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals heading into the new campaign, but they look improved on paper compared to last season. Los Angeles lost forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets in free agency, but it added the likes of big man Deandre Ayton, guard Marcus Smart and forward Jake LaRavia.
A title for James with the Lakers next year would not only mark his second championship with the organization, but it would also be the fifth ring of his pro career. He’s won at least one title with three different teams already, as he captured one championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2016 and two with the Miami Heat as well.
