UNBELIEVABLE: On live television, Lebron James kisses Jeanie Buss…..
Despite her optimism about the franchise’s direction, Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss expressed both hope and uncertainty about the team’s NBA title fortunes and that LeBron James will eventually retire as a Laker.
Buss could guarantee at least one thing, though. Regardless of how the rest of James’ NBA career unfolds, the Lakers will eventually retire his jersey.
“The standard for having your jersey retired as a Laker is when a player is inducted into the Hall-of-Fame. I have absolutely no doubt that LeBron will make it into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame,” Buss told Sportskeeda.
“When he does so, then we will retire his jersey. Knowing that he will make it into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame, he will have his Lakers jersey retired, no doubt about it.”
As ESPN first reported, James will switch from No. 6 to No. 23 for the 2022-23 season out of respect for the late Boston Celtics center Bill Russell. James wore No. 23 during his first four seasons with the Lakers (2017-2021), which coincided with helping the Lakers win an NBA title in 2020.
James then wore No. 6 for the past two seasons (2021-23), which coincided last season with eclipsing former Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Would the Lakers consider retiring both numbers?
Buss addressed various topics in a wide-ranging interview with Sportskeeda, including James’ possible retirement, her support for coach Darvin Ham and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, Pau Gasol’s upcoming induction in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame and more.
