Crypto.com Arena is about to have the 8th Laker memorialized in a monument this upcoming season. Patrolling the sidelines of the Showtime Era has earned Pat Riley a spot in the Star Plaza with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. With a total of 16 statues in Los Angeles’ beloved stadium, it might feel a bit crowded. But how about that 17th?

The opinion comes from Byron Scott, a Showtime cornerstone, 3x NBA champion with the Lakers, and not in contention for a statue. He was at KiKi Shepard’s 7th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic in LA this weekend, where he was asked if LeBron James should get a statue. Before getting to the end of that question, he was already shaking his head.

Scott’s very blunt verdict, “No. No statue. He got one championship in six-seven years.” James signed with the Lakers in 2018 and won a championship in 2020, in the NBA Bubble. Although it’s his fourth chip, it was the only one with the Lakers. The Purple & Gold nation is divided on whether a single ring warrants more than a jersey retirement. Rarely has a former Laker commented on this subject (unless you count Kobe Bryant once advocating for a second Magic statue). That’s why Scott’s comment is significant.

The much-debated question, whether LeBron deserves a statue, remains unresolved, but it isn’t hard. According to Scott, it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon. But Scott does have a caveat. “I think if he gets another one, then he has a chance,” he said. Scott also highlighted that the honor should be exclusive, as it is now for the “long-lifers”.

Players like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Elgin Baylor, and Pat Riley “have been with the Lakers for almost their entire career, and they’ve had multiple championships,” and to keep LeBron in the same league despite his achievements might look like a disservice to those who won it for the club. Scott also highlighted Jerry West, not for his title, but for his lifelong loyalty.

However, titles aren’t the only condition Scott is placing for the future LeBronze (let’s face it, there’s going to be one in Cleveland or Miami at least) in Crypto.com Arena. It starts with the team facilitating King James to the 18th banner.

Byron Scott wants the Lakers to salvage LeBron’s team

Since Byron Scott brought up the subject, TMZ asked him what it would take for LeBron James to win a second chip for the Lakers. He already has Luka Doncic, which, to Scott, is very promising since he got into shape. “I don’t think they need to make a big trade,” he says to reinforce his suggestion. “But I do think they need a couple of more pieces that can come in and really help them off the bench.”

Is he referring to the undecided future of Austin Reaves? Or is it a nudge-nudge-wink-wink at a possible Andrew Wiggins trade? Most projected mock trades point to Reaves getting sent away for Wiggins and draft picks. But that is if Wiggins comes to LA.

Scott also made his opinion on Reaves very obvious, too. “You got two of the best players [LeBron and Luka], Austin Reaves, who’s every year just getting better and better, but you got to get some productivity off of that bench.” The Austin Reaves questions still haunt the Lakers as training camp gets closer.

On the surface, it looks like the Lakers are sticking with Hillbilly Kobe. But that may hurt the young player in the long term. Since the addition of Luka Doncic, Reaves’ role has been minimized. They’re styles are similar – great offense, laughable defense – but statistically Doncic is just that better and has a $165 million contract.

The Lakers have a history of having backups to their duos like Magic and Kareem, and Shaq and Kobe. Although he was primarily a forward for the Lakers, Bryon Scott was the perfect backup guard to Magic. So he’s not one of those who believe the Lakers should ship Reaves out. He believes Rob Pelinka needs to build around LeBron, Luka, and Austin.

“You got to have some guys that can come in and play on both ends of the floor and be able to deliver. Oklahoma City and Indiana, I think they showed everybody in the league that you have to be 9-10 deep to be able to win championships. And if you got nine or 10 really good, solid basketball players, you got a chance.”

He might be the first one to use the OKC and Indiana Pacers equitably distributed rosters to advocate for Reaves staying in LA. Most vets are encouraging the big market teams like the Lakers and Warriors to trade whatever pieces they can to get a solid nine-man roster that doesn’t depend on stars.

If the Lakers take the advice of Scott, who, by the way, is a Coach of the Year touted for smartly utilizing his bench, they have to carve out a better role for Reaves now. And then we can talk about getting LeBron that statue in the future.