Apr 8, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Byron Scott, Bill Walton and Michael Cooper look on as birthday candles are lit to celebrate Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 75th birthday during halftime during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Former Lakers Champion Doesn’t Hold Back on LeBron James Legacy in LA

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Gabe Smallson | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 12:30 PM ET

Former Los Angeles Lakers three-time NBA champion Byron Scott spoke candidly regarding superstar LeBron James' legacy in the purple and gold.

Scott believes that ultimately, James hasn't done enough for the Lakers to warrant a statue to join the likes of the late Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, and other legends that are immortalized outside of crypto.com Arena.

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“No, no statue. One championship in six, seven years — I don’t know how many years he’s been in L.A. right now," said Scott, "but I think if he gets another one then he has a chance."

Another championship for James would bring his total to five rings, and a second with the Lakers.

"But right now, if you look at the players that have statues in front of the [crypto.com arena] these are long lifers. They’ve been with the Lakers for almost their entire career, and they’ve had multiple championships. I think the only one that didn’t is probably Jerry West. But other than that — Jerry West spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s the logo for a reason. So, right now at this particular point — and I’m a big LeBron James fan for what he’s been able to do on and off the court — but statue? No.”

James has spent seven seasons in Los Angeles and delivered one championship during the emotional 2019-2020 campaign. He has also collected seven All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA honors (one of which on the First-Team), and even led the league with 10.2 assists per game during the 2019-20 season.

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The case to be made for a statue if James called it quits tomorrow is there, but Scott wants to keep the sculptures outside the Lakers' home arena in line with the time put in with their time.

Why James Actually Does Deserve a Statue

Another reason for James to get his recognition from the Lakers is that when he became the league's all-time leading scorer, he was donning the purple and gold.

Yes, another title would solidify his contributions to the City of Angels, but the mere idea of a statue for such an iconic player who has only delivered one ring shouldn't be shut down so quickly.