LeBron, Magic Honor Candace Parker at Sparks Jersey Retirement | NBA News
Candace Parker’s legacy reached new heights on Sunday night as the Los Angeles Sparks raised her iconic No. 3 jersey to the rafters at Crypto.com Arena. The halftime ceremony took place during a game against the Chicago Sky. It was a significant chapter in WNBA history. While Angel Reese powered the Sky to a 92-85 win over the Sparks, the true spotlight was on Parker as she was being immortalized by the team she led for 13 seasons. Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson shared their heartfelt messages for the former Sparks superstar.
LeBron James and Magic Johnson salute Candace Parker as Los Angeles Sparks retire her iconic No. 3 jersey
Candace Parker’s jersey retirement made her just the third player in Sparks history to receive the honor, joining Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler. Thousands filled the arena to celebrate her decorated career. Tributes poured in from basketball royalty. LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, took to Instagram to share a brief but powerful reaction to the moment, posting a video of the ceremony with the caption, “🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽”.
LeBron James on Candace Parker. Image via: LeBron James/Instagram
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers icon and Sparks co-owner, offered a far more extensive tribute. Taking to X , Johnson wrote: “Candace Parker has left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles Sparks, not only as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, but as a true ambassador of our franchise and women’s basketball as a whole.”The NBA legend continued, “Beginning with her arrival to the City of Angels in 2008, she not only lived up to the expectations placed on her as a two-time Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year and NCAA National Champion, she far exceeded them. Her unparalleled skill, relentless drive, and leadership elevated the Sparks to new heights and set a new standard of greatness. Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA.”Johnson went on to add, “Her legacy is immeasurable — she redefined excellence, was a champion on the court and for the Los Angeles community and inspired countless fans and future generations of athletes. Very few champions get to see their jersey hanging from the rafters in this city. Retiring Candace’s No. 3 jersey is not just a celebration of her extraordinary career, but a tribute to the enduring mark she’s left on this organization, the WNBA, and the city of Los Angeles. She will forever be a part of the Sparks family.”The tribute didn’t end there. WNBA Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, who handed the franchise’s leadership to Parker in 2008, praised her successor with heartfelt emotion. “She changed the game. When I handed the keys over to Candace Parker, I knew the Sparks were in good hands,” Leslie said. “Nobody else can do what she’s done for the LA Sparks.”Parker, now a three-time WNBA champion, two-time MVP, and the league’s only player to win a title with three different teams, stood at center court with her family. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “It’s super important to see this jersey in the rafters before any others because my 13 years here were super special. It was ups, downs, wins, losses, heartaches and rewards, but it’s super special to share that with my teammates and coaches with an organization that bet on me with the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. That was a long time ago.”Also Read: Dorian Finney-Smith opts out of Los Angeles Lakers deal, Houston Rockets emerge as serious free agency suitorCandace Parker’s No. 3 jersey will now live forever in Sparks history, as the team honored the legend in her post-WNBA life. Among the well wishers, there was Natalia Bryant, daughter of the late Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, honored the WNBA legend by sharing the league’s official post on her Instagram story, writing, “Congrats @candaceparker.”As for Candace Parker’s personal life, she and Anna Petrakova share a love story that blossomed through basketball. The two first crossed paths in 2012 while playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg, a Russian team where Parker was already a key player. Petrakova joined that season, and the pair quickly formed a strong bond that began as teammates and grew into something more.By early 2019, Parker proposed, and they quietly married in December that same year. They chose to keep their relationship private, only sharing the news two years later— along with the exciting reveal that they were expecting a baby.
