"He did it as a Laker" - Shaquille O'Neal fuels LeBron James' statue debate while citing Tim Duncan's chip to validate Bubble championship

Once he retires, LeBron James's jersey will likely be retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He will probably also get a statue outside the Rocket Arena. After all, he delivered the franchise's first and only NBA title in 2016.

The four-time NBA Champion is also likely to be honored by the Miami Heat for delivering two Championships to the organization. However, there are serious doubts about whether he would receive similar treatment from the LA Lakers, the third organization to receive an NBA title under his leadership.

The Lakers' rich history of 17 NBA Championships might come in the way of LeBron getting his due for a singular championship. Moreover, the 2020 championship's validity has also been brought into question by many because it was played in a secluded space.

However, three-time NBA Champion for the Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal, believes that there shouldn't be any questions on whether that title counts. Shaq shared his thoughts on the matter with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson.

"He [LBJ] won a championship with the Lakers, and a lot of people try to discredit it," O'Neal said. "If that one doesn’t count, then you can’t count Mr. (Tim) Duncan’s bubble championship either. That’s right, I said it. If we’re counting Tim Duncan’s lockout-year championship, then you have to count LeBron’s too."

The San Antonio Spurs won the 1999 NBA Championship after the 1998-99 season was shortened to 50 games due to a lockout. That's why many in the basketball community, including Lakers coach Phil Jackson, have declared that the Spurs' win shouldn't count as a regular Championship.

Shaq echoed a similar argument to justify the legitimacy of the Bubble Championship. The Diesel also considered if the Lakers should erect a statue in James's honor once he retires.

"LeBron broke the [scoring] record, and he did it as a Laker," O'Neal pointed out. "Would I oppose him having a statue in Los Angeles? No, I wouldn’t. If they want to give him a statue, I’d be fine with that. He’s a great player, with great ability, and he did what he was supposed to do as a Laker."

Shaq has always been outspoken about LeBron's greatness. His arguments on the erection of LBJ's statue might intrigue the LA side's management. But most fans still think that LeBron has to win multiple chips to deserve a statue outside Crypto.com Arena.

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Shaquille O'Neal gives his perspective on LeBron James' longevity

If you ask Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron is still going at it with a singular purpose in mind — to set a record that no one can ever touch. O'Neal shared this on "The Big Podcast" on March 14.

"I know what he's doing, he's trying to make records that will never be broken again," O'Neal said. "Just think about it, Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) did that when I was in college and I played 19 years then I'm out the game and 15 years after that and it finally got broken. If he gets to 46,000 points it'll never be broken again." (36:34-36:55)

LeBron James, at the time of writing, has 42,020 regular season points. The second-highest is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 38,387. James surpassed the record in 2023, 20 years after he came into the league.