Bronny James' girlfriend's dad steps in to defend LeBron James' Lakers legacy after Dan Patrick's jab
Bronny James’ girlfriend’s dad, Dondre Whitfield, came to LeBron James’ defense after Dan Patrick questioned his Lakers legacy on the April 3rd episode of the Dan Patrick Show. Patrick began to raise questions about James’ legacy, suggesting that fans of the organization won’t be happy if his jersey is retired.
“I think Lakers fans will have a problem with LeBron’s jersey being retired.”
When asked why, Patrick suggested that LeBron isn’t a Laker because he isn’t “homegrown” like Kobe Bryant and Jerry West.
“Kobe’s a Laker, Magic’s a Laker, Kareem’s a Laker, Jerry West is a Laker, Elgin Baylor’s a Laker. Shaq, you can call him a Laker. LeBron just kind of came in.”
Patrick then explained that he doesn’t view LeBron as a Laker since he chose to sign with the team in free agency. Both Dan’s guests and Dondre Whitfield disagreed with Patrick’s jab at LeBron James’ legacy with the Lakers.
The hosts mentioned that Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar weren’t homegrown either. Yet, they also have their numbers in the rafters. Whitfield let his disagreement be known in the comment section of Patrick’s post. He wrote:
“Dan????? Come on man. This commentary is aging like your eyes. Lol. It’s not about years. It’s about impact.”
Regardless of what Patrick thinks, LeBron James’ arrival in LA has completely turned their fortunes around and cannot be called a “pit stop”. Before James arrived for the 2018-19 season, the Lakers had finished 11th in the West.
In 2020, James led the Lakers to the NBA Championship after defeating the Miami Heat in six games. This marked the Lakers’ first NBA Finals win since Kobe won his fifth ring in 2010. He will soon begin his eighth season with the Lakers and has done enough to have his number retired by them.
LeBron James and the Lakers clinch the third seed in the Western Conference
LeBron James has led the Lakers to the third seed in a very tightly contested Western Conference. The Lakers are third and are separated from the eighth seed by two games. James and Co. will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
This marked James’ first season since his rookie year, where he averaged less than 25 points per game. He recorded 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game this season and was instrumental, along with Luka Doncic. Despite the slight drop in his numbers, James will take it up a notch in the playoffs, as he has so many times before.