He’s not done quite yet, but LeBron James will have his jersey retired by the Lakers after he calls time on his legendary career, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a new interview.
James delivered the Lakers a championship in 2020 and is set to play his sixth season for the franchise this year.
And Buss told Sportskeeda that James will have his jersey hung in the rafters alongside other Lakers legends once he’s inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
‘The standard for having your jersey retired as a Laker is when a player is inducted into the Hall-of-Fame,’ Buss said.
‘I have absolutely no doubt that LeBron will make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.’
LeBron James will turn 39 in December but is still going strong for the Los Angeles Lakers
Bronny went into cardiac arrest on Monday and was discharged from the hospital on Thursday
The development comes the same week James’ and his wife Savannah’s eldest son, Bronny, suffered a cardiac arrest.
Bronny, who committed to play college basketball at USC in
The 18-year-old was later stabilized and moved out of intensive care, before being discharged from the hospital altogether on Thursday.
Earlier that day, LeBron James said in a statement: ‘I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers.
‘We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love.
‘Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang.’
A statement from Cedars-Sinai said the hospital was ‘hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response,’ though it’s unclear when – or if – Bronny will be able to return to the court.
His father, LeBron, has previously indicated a desire to play with his eldest son in the NBA, telling ESPN earlier this year ‘I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny.
Bronny James committed in May to play for the University of Southern California
James thanked supporters for their messages on social media after Bronny’s health scare
‘Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him… But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure.’
Of course, LeBron playing with Bronny would also see him play past his 40th birthday – with Bronny at least a year away from joining the NBA.
James teased retirement after the Lakers were eliminated by the Nuggets in the postseason, but officially announced he’d be returning next season at the ESPY Awards.
Additionally, James may have to leave LA to team up with Bronny, though Buss said his legacy with the franchise is cemented regardless of where he ends his career.
‘It would mean a lot,’ she told Sportskeeda of James retiring as a Laker. ‘But it won’t change his contributions to Lakers history.
LeBron James poses with family after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record
‘It’s great if he retires as a Laker. That’s the ultimate thing because a player like Shaquille O’Neal has meant so much to Lakers history, but he wasn’t a Laker when he retired from the NBA. But that didn’t change what his part of Lakers history was. When he retired from the NBA, we retired his Lakers jersey.’
James has had an up-and-down tenure in LA.
The team finished just 37-45 in his first season before trading for Anthony Davis, and the franchise has made it past the first round of the playoffs just twice in his five seasons there thus far.
Nonetheless, James delivered a championship and conference finals run in those years, providing high highs if not the consistency that other Western Conference rivals have maintained.
May, was practicing at the Trojans’ Galen Center on Monday when he collapsed and was taken into intensive care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. v