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"LeBron isn't Laker family" - Colin Cowherd argues that LeBron doesn't deserve a statue in Los Angeles
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- "LeBron isn't Laker family" - Colin Cowherd argues that LeBron doesn't deserve a statue in Los Angeles
One day after former Los Angeles Lakers forward Robert Horry said on his show that LeBron James deserves a statue at every stop he's made, including Los Angeles , Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd countered that take via a 224-second monologue on "The Herd Live."
With "King James" career winding down, many are starting to talk about which cities should honor LeBron with a statue. Everybody agrees that Cleveland owes him one. Many argue that the Heat has to give him another as well. However, when it comes to the Lakers , there's more opposition than you'd expect. Colin explained why on his show.
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"The Lakers aren't every other organization," said Cowherd. "There is simply a different standard for Notre Dame football, Yankee baseball, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and the Lakers… Miami, sure. Cleveland, absolutely. I think if you ask Lakers fans, statue and LeBron outside Crypto? It would be absolutely not."
LeBron is more like a contractor than a family member
Currently, there are eight Lakers-affiliated statues at Crypto.com Arena. Kobe Bryant has two, but he is arguably the greatest Laker ever, having played 20 years with the Lake Show and winning five NBA titles. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won five together during the Showtime Era, while Shaquille O'Neal won 3 during his peak.
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Meanwhile, Jerry West had six as an executive, while Chick Hearn was the Lakers' voice for 30+ years. Elgin Baylor never won a single NBA championship. But he is considered one of the team's founding fathers, and he played all of his 14 years in Los Angeles.
On the other hand, LeBron is in his eighth season with the Lakers, but because of his reputation for leaving cities chasing titles, fans don't consider him one of their own.
"Every statue outside Crypto, the first line could be, 'Laker legend Magic Johnson.' With LeBron, the first sentence is, 'Cleveland's finest,' 'Most points ever,' 'Part of the Heatles...' Is he really family? LeBron feels more like a consultant. He adds value, new set of eyes, polishes up the problems. And then when he leaves, and the contract's done, you're like, 'Alright, see ya.' Nobody sheds tears, nobody cries. This is not family. That's the downside of mobility. LeBron is not family," he added.
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Big Shot said LeBron deserves a statue in all three NBA cities he's played for
As mentioned, Horry appeared on Colin Cowherd's show the day before, where the host asked whether LeBron deserved a statue as a Laker. "Big Shot Bob" replied that James actually deserves one in every NBA city he's played in because he not only put fans in the seats but also delivered at least one Larry O'Brien Trophy to each franchise.
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"A lot of times, fans forget it's a player's choice to decide to go where he wants to go. We get caught up in, 'He's a Laker, he's a Cavalier, or he's a Heat.' Think about it. Guys in the real world, when they don't like their job, they move to another job.... He should get a statue in Cleveland. He should get a statue in LA. He should get a statue in Miami… I think he should be praised more than he is," said Horry.
Different people approach LeBron's mobility differently. Colin says Lakers fans treat him like an outsider because of his history of moving from one team to another. Meanwhile, Horry firmly believes it's not about how many times you transfer teams. Because the fans themselves, if they don't like their jobs, look for another. And that's who LeBron is.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
