I don’t think it probably comes as that big of a surprise, but the Los Angeles Lakers plan to retire LeBron’s jersey(s) once he finishes his career. Who knows when James will actually hang it up for good – but I’d imagine it’s pretty nice to have this reassurance. After winning the 2020 NBA Championship in the bubble, LeBron and the Lakers have been all over the place. Between the nightmare that was Russell Westbrook and seventeen Anthony Davis injuries, LBJ has remained relatively steady through it all. While I’ll always be a Jordan guy, I’ve got to still give LeBron some props for what he’s done in LA at this stage in his career.
However, I think this jersey retirement is less about LeBron’s tenure as a Laker and more about the fact that LeBron was a Laker. Unless he chooses to play for another team prior to his retirement, the Lakers will be remembered as LeBron’s “final episode”, if you will. Sure, he got a chip. But, it goes without saying that his prime playing days were clearly in Miami and Cleveland. I get that LeBron broke the all-time scoring record while wearing purple and gold, but does he really need both jerseys retired? I might be somewhat of a hater, however, I feel like that’s just unnecessary.
After their immaculate mid-season turnaround this year, I would imagine that championship expectations are pretty high within the Lakers organization. After all, they did resign the true white mamba – Austin Reaves. You might think I’m joking if you’re not overly familiar with the NBA, but Reaves carried the Lakers in some playoff games this past season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leads the league in scoring this year – as long as Darvin Ham gives him more opportunities to shoot.
