How difficult is it to be erected by a statue in the Lakers? There are only 6 players in NBA history. Does James have a chance?

As we all know, the Lakers are one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Their 17 championship trophys come from different eras, and this is also due to their fact that they have too many superstars in their team history. For example, James, who is currently working as a NBA President Hill-level star, came to Los Angeles during the most difficult period of the Lakers in 2018, and then successfully led the team to the top in 2020, so he also won the FMVP.

As a Lakers player, James has been selected into the All-Stars and the Best Team 7 times in addition to the championship and FMVP, and has also won the first assisting champion in his career at the age of 35. Even if it only depends on the achievements James has made during this period, he is also a Hall of Fame star. For the current Lakers boss Jenny, James' significance to this team is even greater than the championship he led the team. After all, it was his arrival that allowed the Lakers that Jenny had to completely escape from the dark period. Under such circumstances, James' retired jersey is definitely a foregone conclusion.

However, considering that only six players in the Lakers' history have their own statues, it is still a bit difficult for James to achieve this achievement here. However, considering that he still has oil, assuming that he can help the Lakers win another championship before retirement, the probability will continue to increase. Then we will take a look at the six stars who have their own statue in the Lakers. Let’s take a look at what achievements they have achieved when playing for the Lakers!

1. Elgin Baylor, who was reaching a low in 1958, chose Baylor with the No. 1 pick. This decision continued the team with a strong breath. Baylor, who came to the NBA, averaged 24.9 points, 15 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the rookie season. With his help, the Lakers, who had only 19 wins and 53 losses in the previous year, returned to the finals in 1959, and under his leadership, the Lakers have become the top team in the league for many years.

Finally, before Baylor retired, he helped the Lakers reach the finals 8 times. Although he has never won the championship, he still left too many highlights in the NBA. For example, in the 1962 Finals G5, Baylor scored 61 points in a single game. Until now, this is still a single game record for players in the NBA Finals. In that era when players' skills were still far from perfect, Baylor had already used emergency stop jump shots and breakthrough hook layups as conventional scoring methods, which was also of great value for the development of basketball. Therefore, in order to commemorate the legendary star, the Lakers erected a statue for him in 2018.

2.Jerry West

As Baylor's former teammate, West also entered the league very early, and when the Lakers fell on the stage of the finals many times in the early days, he was also a part of the team. Like Baylor, West can also perform well every time. In 1965, he averaged 46.3 points per game in the Western Conference Finals. Later, facing the Celtics in the 1969 Finals, West also became the only loser in NBA history with his average of 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists.

However, luckier than Baylor, West won the championship with his own hands as he wished in 1972, and it has been 18 years since the last time the Lakers won the championship. Therefore, after West brought the Lakers back to the top of the world again, his name was destined to be permanently engraved in the credit card of Lakers' history. Especially considering that even if he should have made great contributions to the Lakers after retirement, it is undoubtedly normal for the team to build a statue for him.

3.Jabbar, who debuted in the Bucks in 1969, became a top superstar in the league very early. He then chose to leave here and come to the Lakers. After opening a new chapter in his career, his personal performance was still as outstanding as ever. Under Lakers Jabbar, he not only won the MVP many times, but under his leadership, the Lakers became the most dominant team in the league in the 1980s, and during this period they also won 5 championships.

Finally played until 1989 when he retired. He ranked first in the NBA's historical scoring list with 38,387 points. At first, this was considered one of the records that could not be broken in NBA history (later broken by Lakers James). However, even so, the Lakers still attach great importance to Jabbar. As the inside line that brought the most championships to the team, the management created a statue for him as early as 2012, and the action he chose was also his mark on the court - hook.

4. Magic Johnson

The reason why the Lakers could dominate the NBA in the 1980s was not only because of Jabbar, but even the role of Magic Johnson was even more critical. After all, the former had begun to decline in the later stages, while the Magician was always at its peak. During this period, the Magic not only won 5 championship rings, but also won 3 MVPs and 3 FMVPs. He was also selected for the Best Team and All-Stars many times, and also won 4 assists and steals. Therefore, the Magic of that period was undoubtedly one of the best stars in the league.

And the Magic not only played an important role in the Lakers, but even the league has to thank him for his rise. The NBA at that time was far less famous than it is now, but the Magic's performance brought the NBA game's ratings to a new high, so he is also recognized as one of the stars with the greatest impact on the NBA. Although the Magic has only played in the NBA for 13 seasons due to injury, he has firmly ranked first in history when he retired, so he naturally has the qualification to be made into a statue by the Lakers..

5.O'Neal

In 1996, under the leadership of West, the Lakers signed the young O'Neal with a maximum salary in the free market, and this decision also made the team become the most dominant team in the league again. Under O'Neal's leadership, the Lakers won the championship for three consecutive seasons in 2000, 2001 and 2002. During this period, he personally won the FMVP. In the finals, he was the most dominant big man in NBA history. Therefore, even though the Lakers personally traded O'Neal in 2004, the team obviously still recognized his achievements here, so in 2017, the Lakers erected a statue for him.

6. Kobe

In 1996, under West's operation, the Lakers traded Kobe from the Hornets, who entered the NBA after graduating from high school. Although Kobe could only play as a substitute at the beginning, this could not hide his talent at all. So he was selected as the All-Star in the second season of his career. In addition, his personality and playing style are also extremely consistent with the city of Los Angeles, so Kobe quickly became the Lakers' favorite.

Later, when O'Neal led the team, Kobe played a good role in assisting. Without him, the Lakers would not have won that three consecutive championships. In 2004, the Lakers helped Kobe Bryant to be the leader, and he did not disappoint the team. Later, in 2009 and 2010, Kobe helped the team win a row of championships, and his achievements in two consecutive FMVPs also proved his strength as the team's boss. Although the Lakers failed to win the championship again, Kobe's willingness to fight for the team to enter the playoffs has completely touched the team and the fans. Therefore, even though the Magician's historical status is higher, for many Lakers fans, they still believe that Kobe is the first person in the history of the Lakers. In this case, he not only has the treatment of being retired from two jerseys, but also naturally has his own statue.