LeBron James has been a Laker for several years now. The kid from Akron, Ohio, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Since then, he has led the side to a championship in 2020 during the pandemic. Later in 2023, he helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals. However, they could not stop the attacking force of the Denver Nuggets. The duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were too much to handle for the Lakers.
Apparently, Anthony Davis had transformed the Lakers into the strongest defensive side of the season this year. But the Nuggets broke their defense into the ground as they won the conference finals 4-0. It was humiliating for the Lakers and especially for LeBron James, who was hoping to win his fifth title before he finally retired. The 38-year-old superstar is at the twilight of his career, and he might not get a better chance to win his fifth championship. Immediately after the WCF, LeBron James hinted about retiring soon. But the Los Angeles Lakers governor, Jeanie Buss, was hopeful that King James might not retire so soon. In a long discussion with Sportskeeda, Jeanie Buss mentioned what she hopes for the King’s future.
Jeanie Buss Hopes To Retire The Lakers Jersey Of LeBron James After He Becomes A Hall Of Famer
Recently, Buss noted that after seeing how LeBron James performed throughout the 2022-23 season, she feels the King can go on to play easily for another couple of years. However, she would never force any player, especially LeBron James, to stick around against his will. Moreover, in her discussion with Sportskeeda, Jeanie Buss added that the Lakers would retire LeBron’s jersey in the future. Adding to that, she mentioned the criteria for retiring a player’s jersey is that he becomes a Hall Of Famer. Moreover, the Lakers governor has no doubt in her mind that LeBron James will get his induction into the Hall of Fame in the future.
LeBron James generally wore the No. 6 jersey. But last season, he wore number 23 to pay tribute to the Boston Celtics Legend Bill Russell. When the interviewer asked Buss if the Lakers would retire both numbers, she replied that it is a discussion for another time. On the other hand, a player who has dominated the game over two decades will certainly get his induction into the Hall Of Fame at some point. Now only time will be how many more years King James can stay active in the NBA.
The Lakers Had Hell Of A 2022-23 NBA Season!
The Los Angeles Lakers had a season of highs and lows last season. There was a point when it looked like the Lakers were not going to make the postseason. But the front office did a remarkable job of bringing balance and stability to the Lakers roster. Against all odds, the 17-time champions started looking like a championship-winning team.
Who would have thought that the Lakers could reach the conference finals even after they were 2-10 in the beginning? But they did after Anthony Davis and LeBron James led them to beat the second-seed Memphis Grizzlies and the defending champions, Golden State Warriors. They shocked everybody to reach the conference finals.
