It has only been two years of the LeBron James experience in Los Angeles but his approval rating is as high as ever. After a fairly disastrous first season, LeBron and the Lakers were able to bring back the Larry O’Brien trophy to its home, the 17th time in franchise history, finally matching the Celtics for most all-time.
James followed that display by signing a contract extension which will keep him in the City of Angels until 2023, giving him ample time to add to his legacy and doing so in the purple and gold. In fact, if James does play out the length of his contract, he will have spent more time in this stop than in all of his previous stops except for his first stretch in Cleveland after being drafted by the Cavaliers.
On Friday, Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka spoke to the media about the team’s offseason. Specifically, on LeBron, Pelinka made it clear that they want the superstar to continue building his legacy in LA:
“I’m sure he will hang many jerseys one day but we hope one of them will be a Lakers jersey.”
At this rate, James will surely see that number 23 hanging in Cleveland, Miami, and Los Angeles before long. While his achievements in LA may not end up being quite as grandiose as in his previous stops due to his age, his Hall of Fame status and the likelihood of his passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot in all-time scoring while donning the same colors (plus the championships – yes, plural) effectively make him a lock to join all the greats with their numbers up at Staples Center.
