Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss revealed that the franchise will retire LeBron James’ jersey once he makes the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“The standard for having your jersey retired as a Laker is when a player is inducted into the Hall-of-Fame,” Buss told Sportskeeda. “I have absolutely no doubt that LeBron will make it into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame.”
“When he does so, then we will retire his jersey. Knowing that he will make it into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame, he will have his Lakers jersey retired, no doubt about it.”
James has been with the Lakers since the 2018-19 season, and he led the franchise to an NBA title in the 2019-20 season.
Arguably the greatest player in the history of basketball, James is a lock to make the Hall of Fame, especially after he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the 2022-23 season.
James has worn two different numbers for the Lakers – No. 23 and No. 6. He will return to wearing No. 23 in the 2023-24 season to honor the great Bill Russell, who passed away prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.
There’s no doubt that James has returned the Lakers to the level of success that the franchise has desired, taking the team to the Western Conference Finals in the 2022-23 season. While injuries have been a major part of James’ tenure in Los Angeles, he also broke the team’s title drought in 2020.
The Lakers hadn’t won a championship since the 2009-10 season when Kobe Bryant led the team to glory.
At 38 years old, James still seems to have a lot left in the tank, and he could end up playing for the Lakers longer than just through the 2023-24 season. James has a player option on his contract for the 2024-25 season, but he could always negotiate a new deal with the Lakers if he so chooses.
A 19-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP, James has about as many accolades as anyone in the history of the NBA.
He will look to build on that resume – and his Lakers legacy – during the 2023-24 season. Last season, James showed he is still at the top of his game, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc.
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