Lakers insider weighs in on LeBron James getting a statue in LA if he leaves for Cavs next season

Lakers insider Jovan Buha expressed his thoughts on the possibility of LeBron James receiving a statue in LA. James is in his seventh season with the Lakers and has brought home one title so far. However, given that he’s only won the championship once during his tenure with the Purple and Gold, some might wonder if that’s enough for a statue to be built for the King.

During a live session on YouTube Friday, Buha hosted a Q&A session with his audience. One viewer asked if James would get a statue in LA if he hypothetically decided to return to Cleveland for his retirement season next year.

Buha believes that while a statue for LeBron James is unlikely, it’s more probable that his jersey will be retired. He pointed out that James hasn’t won as many championships as other Lakers legends who have statues. While Buha acknowledged that LeBron was the best player on the team during his championship run, he still feels it may not be enough for a statue.

"If you look at the players that have statues, for the most part they've contributed more than one championship," Buha said at the 55:19 mark. "I think LeBron will have his jersey retired for sure, as he should."

"I think a statue, he could make a case either way because he was the best player on the (2020 NBA championship) team. ... My guess would be he gets the jersey retired and not the statue."

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LeBron James captures 7th triple-double of 2024-25 season weeks before turning 40

LeBron James and the LA Lakers faced the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. The Lakers were on the road, hoping to break their two-game losing streak. Unfortunately for them, Trae Young iced the game with a game-winning 3-point bomb with eight ticks left in overtime, resulting in a 134-132 finish.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, James, who will turn 40 later this month, once again proved he still has gas left in the tank as he recorded his seventh triple-double of the 2024-25 season, finishing with 39 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

While the narrative in the Lakers’ last two games was that James’ age was finally showing after a poor shooting performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, he quickly brushed off the rust and demonstrated that he’s still one of the best players in the game, even at his age.