LeBron James is no longer a Laker, but Kendrick Perkins thinks his number should still go up in bronze outside Crypto.com Arena. And he’s not backing down from anyone who disagrees.
On ESPN’s NBA Today, Perkins argued that James deserves a statue alongside Lakers royalty like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant. The reasoning? It’s simple, he says. James spent more time in L.A. than he’s spent anywhere else in his career.
“I think he deserves a statue, to be honest with you,” Perkins said. “When you look at the records he broke in a Laker uniform, like getting the all-time scoring record, like that moment with him and Kareem winning the NBA championship. Stacking up those accolades and what he did as an individual, like we said, this is the longest he’s ever played for any franchise.”
Eight seasons. One ring. A lot of history.
James joined the Lakers in 2018 and delivered a championship in 2020 during the bubble in Orlando. That title snapped a decade-long drought for the franchise. He also led them to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and posted three 50-win seasons along the way.
But the crown jewel of his Laker tenure came in February 2023, when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. That moment happened in a Lakers uniform, and Perkins says that alone changes the conversation.
“He has broken records in this, along with delivering a championship,” Perkins said. “I know a lot of Laker fans out there are gonna be in my comments, and they probably already are saying that I’m crazy. But I strongly believe he deserves a statue.”
Not everyone is convinced
Lakers fans are a tough crowd when it comes to legacy. Only the absolute icons get bronzed outside the arena. James has eight All-Star selections and seven All-NBA nods as a Laker. That’s elite. But some fans argue that one championship in eight seasons doesn’t feel like statue territory compared to five for Magic, five for Kobe, and six for Kareem.
Still, Perkins sees it differently. He looks at the totality. The scoring record. The leadership. The fact that James stuck around longer in L.A. than he did in Cleveland or Miami.
James officially told the Lakers he was moving on after 24 seasons in the league. Since then, reports have linked him to the Warriors, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, 76ers, Heat, and Nuggets. He’s not done yet, and where he lands next will only add to the résumé.
Whether that résumé earns him a statue in L.A. is still an open question. But Perkins at least made his vote public.
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