"People try to disrespect the ring" - Former Lakers champion makes case for LeBron James' statue at Crypto.com arena in LA

Josh Powell, a two-time champion, believes LeBron James should be honored with a statue outside the Crypto.com Arena for securing a championship for the LA Lakers in the bubble.

In an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Powell said the ring LeBron James and the Lakers won in the bubble should not be disrespected, considering the sacrifices players made to win it.

“LeBron brought a chip to the city and he did it when the situation happened,” Powell said.

“People try to disrespect the ring because they're like, ‘Oh, it's in the bubble’ and this and that, but…let's not act like we didn't see some of the best basketball we've ever seen in years…and they was just focused on the game of basketball in an empty gym,” he added.

The Lakers arena showcases statues commemorating legendary figures like Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal — all of whom won championships donning the purple and gold— and commentator Chick Hearn.

Powell, who won two championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, acknowledged the challenges of being separated from one's family to concentrate on basketball en route to a championship.

“You can't disrespect that at all, because if somebody else would have won it, y'all have been cool with it,” he said.

“But it's the fact that like they took care of business. You know what I'm saying? At a time where it was, it was difficult. Like, there's nothing easy, I wish, all of these people could be removed from their families for about a month or two,” he added.

Austin Reaves also believes LeBron James deserves to have a statue in Los Angeles.

"He came to LA at a time where wasn't having much success and in two to three years put a banner in the rafters, so why not? In my opinion, he's the greatest player to ever play the game," Reaves said.

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LeBron James led LA Lakers to championship in second season with the team

In only his second season with the Lakers, LeBron James, alongside Anthony Davis, led the team to a championship in 2020, earning him his fourth NBA Finals MVP award.

Aside from the championship, James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record last season as a member of the Lakers, surpassing fellow legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron James has a record of 176-124 with the LA Lakers in his career.

The Lakers will face the Indiana Pacers in the finals of the In-Season Tournament on Saturday.