Lakers NBA vs. Wilt Chamberlain Comparison of LeBron James’s Career: Should the Lakers retire his No. 23 jersey?

Lakers NBA vs. Wilt Chamberlain Comparison of LeBron James’s Career: Should the Lakers retire his No. 23 jersey?

When discussing brilliance in basketball, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James aren’t always the first two parallels that come to mind. Having said that, James finds himself in a like circumstance as Chamberlain. For the Warriors and 76ers in the past, Chamberlain was a terrific scorer and rebounder. Additionally, Chamberlain assisted Philadelphia in winning a championship. Chamberlain spent five seasons playing for the purple and gold towards the end of his career.

James recently signed a two-year agreement with the Lakers, so we can anticipate that he will play for the team for a total of seven seasons. He is now in his fifth season. Examining the individual careers of the Lakers players raises an intriguing query. Is LeBron’s number retired by the Lakers?

Ultimately, the Lakers have retired Chamberlain’s number. In the discussion, both individuals have legacies that they consider to be the greatest players ever. But we’re only focusing on their achievements with the Lakers. With a Lakers career that reads like a CV, Chamberlain’s number was retired. This should eventually lead to LeBron’s number being retired.

Before making that ultimate decision, let’s review each player’s record with the Lakers.

Wilt Chamberlain’s seasons: 5 (1968–1973)

LeBron James: Five (as of 2018)

Although James will be starting his fifth season with the Lakers, he has technically played for the team for four, so we’re going to call it a draw. Chamberlain was thirty-two years old when he signed with the Lakers. He had just finished a season in which he led the NBA in triple-doubles while playing for the 76ers. He was beginning to modify his approach so that he could make use of his passing abilities. His passing skills helped him become an all-around great, even though his scoring and rebounding remained outstanding. Despite this, he continued to be a superb rebounder, leading the league in rebounding for four of the five seasons.

James was 34 when he signed with the Lakers. Chamberlain participated in the NBA for 14 seasons. In 20 years, James will be joining the league. James had been in the NBA for longer than Chamberlain had been before he joined the Lakers. James was the league leader in assists per game as a point forward in spite of this. After that, he won the MVP award in the NBA Finals while leading the Lakers. Although Chamberlain has an advantage over James in terms of postseason performance and individual stats, it’s important to keep in mind that James accomplished his feats with legs that have logged more miles than Chamberlain has in his whole career.

Benefit: Ties

Wilt Chamberlain: 1 championship (1972)

James LeBron: 1 (2020)

The Lakers emerged victorious in the 1972 NBA Finals, marking Chamberlain’s third Finals appearance with Los Angeles at that time. After losing to the Celtics and Knicks in the previous season, the club had advanced to the Finals. The Lakers defeated the Bulls in the opening round this time. After that, the club won six games against the Bucks. The Lakers overcame a first-game loss to the Knicks to win the next four games and award Chamberlain his second overall championship ring.

James overcame great hardship to win a championship in 2020. The Lakers had just finished a season in which they failed to make the playoffs. James had injuries that year, raising doubts about his durability. The NBA community was saddened by Kobe Bryant’s demise. The NBA bubble, the epidemic, and COVID-19 were the battles the globe faced. In spite of everything, James assisted in leading the Lakers to their first championship since Bryant in 2010 with a six-game victory over his former team, the Miami Heat.

Benefit: Ties

NBA Finals: Four (1969, 1970, 1972, 1973) for Wilt Chamberlain

James LeBron: 1 (2020)

With the Lakers, Chamberlain participated in four NBA Finals. This included defeats to the Knicks in 1970 and 1973 as well as the Celtics in 1969. In the past, the Lakers dominated the table. The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals nine times between 1962 and 1973. The Lakers had just defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals when Chamberlain signed on. In 1969, the club had a 3-2 lead against Bill Russell and the Celtics and came within a game of defeating them in seven games.

James has only once advanced to the NBA Finals. The Lakers’ 2019 postseason run was cut short. The squad struggled with injuries and accepted losing in the opening round of the playoffs after winning the Finals in 2020. The squad won just 33 games last season, and the Russell Westbrook trade went awry. James has only ever led the Lakers past the opening round once, as the team did not make the playoffs.

The benefit is Wilt Chamberlain

MVP Awards for the Finals: Wilt Chamberlain: 1

LeBron James: One

Both players delivered the city a championship and were both the best player. In 1972, Chamberlain remained a force. In Game 2, he put Jerry Lucas in foul trouble to help the team win by 14 points. Game 3 featured Chamberlain scoring 26 points and 20 rebounds. In Game 4, Chamberlain played with five fouls late in the game and avoided fouling out despite playing aggressive defense. In that game, he fell on his right hand and broke it. Despite the injury, he played through Game 5 and recorded 24 points, 29 rebounds, eight assists, and eight blocked shots.

James does not have a story like this for his Finals MVP trophy. He can say that he won his fourth award with a third team, though. James had his best performance in Game 5 when he scored 40 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists in a memorable game against Jimmy Butler. The Lakers won the series in six games. James averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists for the series. At 35 years and 287 days, he became the second-oldest player to win Finals MVP.