One of the biggest NBA debates in Southern California lately is LeBron James‘ Lakers legacy and whether his heroics in LA warrant a jersey retirement and/or a statue. While no one can discredit what he achieved with the team, including the 2020 championship win, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, who was once 100 percent sure the Lakers would have a statue for James, is now on the polar opposite end of the argument.
Reacting to a recent video of Bron’s preseason workout on his “Gil’s Arena” show, Arenas argued that James ruined his Los Angeles legacy by opting for free agency instead of hanging up his sneakers in purple and gold. When co-hosts Josiah Johnson, Nick “Swaggy P” Young, and Danny Green pressed Arenas on his sudden shift in fandom, the former 3x All-Star held nothing back.
“I wasn’t a LeBron fan when he was in Cleveland, Miami, back to Cleveland,” Arenas said on his show. “I became a glazer when he got to LA. I glaze all LA. Now I remember.”
As the panel poked fun at his blatant regional bias, Arenas voiced more frustration over the 41-year-old’s decision to leave LA for Philadelphia. He mocked James for his viral miss from a preseason workout, where the 76ers Guard hit the side of the backboard, then said,
“You’re not a Laker no more. It’s back to normal. It’s back. It’s back to business, right? He should’ve just retired. A Laker. He should’ve just retired. Trophy right in the front.”
Arenas then shifted the conversation to whether James deserves a permanent statue outside Crypto.com Arena, like other franchise icons like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant.
“I can tell you right now, if they going to ask me if he should get a trophy [statue]… f— no. He didn’t retire here,” Arenas snapped. “Have Philly build you one of them small little a–, little a– small ones.”
Arenas was referring to the six-foot-tall statues outside the 76ers practice facility in Camden, New Jersey. We’re not even at a point where we can discuss Bron’s statue among Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson at the 76ers. But there are arguments for and against it in LA.
When Nick Young countered by pointing out that Shaquille O’Neal, whose Dunkman bronze likeness is in the Crypto.com Arena, also finished his career on other rosters after leaving Los Angeles, Arenas held up three fingers to highlight the disparity in hardware: “Had three. Three.”
Arenas reflects a strict standard he has maintained for years regarding the Lakers’ elite honors system. Crypto.com Arena’s Star Plaza holds some of the most exclusive real estate in professional sports, housing statues of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Pat Riley, and legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn.
In a March 2024 appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Nightcap” podcast, Arenas had voiced similar reservations, emphasizing that six seasons, one NBA championship, and six All-Star selections in a Lakers uniform did not match the overwhelming accolades of O’Neal’s dominant eight-year run.
But later that year, he changed his stance. Arenas claimed in October 2024 on his show that James would definitely have a statue in LA.
“LeBron James will have a statue at Staples [Crypto.com Arena] because you’re not gonna have the No. 1 scorer in NBA history not there,” said Arenas “Cleveland’s gonna give him one no matter what. He can possibly be three (with Miami). 100 percent sure he will have two because there’s no way Los Angeles doesn’t have him with the name.”
While Wilt Chamberlain brought a championship to Los Angeles across five seasons and four Finals appearances, he notably remains without a statue outside the arena.
As for James, by choosing to sign an $8 million veteran-minimum contract with Philadelphia to team up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, he closed an eight-year chapter in Los Angeles, the longest continuous stint of his storied career. James captured the 2020 NBA title and broke the league’s all-time scoring record in a Lakers jersey.
With the 22-time All-Star preparing to enter his 24th season, the debate over his place in Lakers lore remains polarized. For Arenas, the verdict is already final: without a retirement send-off or multiple rings in Los Angeles, James’ likeness belongs nowhere near the rafters or the plaza in L.A.