LeBron James will be remembered as one of the biggest sports icons in American history when it is all said and done. That honor usually comes with an abundance of statues. But has he done enough to crack the Los Angeles Lakers' proud lineage of greatness in order to be forever commemorated outside Crypto.com Arena?

His teammate Austin Reaves thinks so. “He came to LA at a time where {it} wasn't having much success and 2-3 years put a banner in the rafters, so why not?” the Team USA player told Sports Illustrated weeks ahead of the FIBA World Cup. “In my opinion, he's the greatest player to ever play the game.”

While Reaves' support was never in doubt, he does present the argument for James earning a Lakers statue. Following the franchise's championship success in the early 2010s with Kobe Bryant, LA floundered for much of the rest of the decade. The team perplexingly did not win 30 games in a season from 2013-17. For an organization heavily linked to the growth and history of the NBA, that stretch of futility felt like an eternity to fans.

LeBron James did not help turn things around over night, as a hugely disappointing, injury-ridden 37-45 campaign followed in 2018-19. Though, his superstar efforts, combined with the arrival of Anthony Davis, ultimately catapulted LA to the apex once again the next year.

While there have been ups and downs since winning the title, the NBA's all-time scoring leader has remained a top player when healthy. Lakers great James Worthy previously weighed in on the statue debate, saying James has not yet been with the team long enough to be awarded such an esteemed honor. There are a long list of legends to don the Purple and Gold, but the four-time Finals MVP has undoubtedly left a lasting impact.

James breathed new life into what had become one of the most lackluster franchises in the league. That is enough to be accepted by LA fans. It remains to be seen if it warrants a bronze memento. There is still time for him to put the debate to rest.