LeBron James is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in NBA history, and many consider him one of the three greatest players in league history. But his ranking among the greatest to play for the Los Angeles Lakers is more questionable.
It is mostly because he joined the team as a 33-year-old, but also because other than winning the 2020 NBA title, his tenure with the Purple and Gold has been disappointing.
Richard Jefferson, who played with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers several years ago, recently said James isn’t one of the best to ever wear the Purple and Gold.
Via Lakers Daily:
“A former teammate of LeBron James recently said that he doesn’t believe the Los Angeles Lakers superstar currently should be considered one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
“Richard Jefferson, who played with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, made the claim.
“‘LeBron James has not done enough as a Laker to be on that list,’ Jefferson said. ‘Bron been there now — this is his fourth season, right? They’ve been in there four seasons. Two years, they haven’t made the postseason. One year, they lost in the first round. And one year, they won a championship.'”
James’ time with the Lakers isn’t over yet, and he could end up playing a few more years with them, depending on how his contract extension talks go.
The Akron, Ohio, native could very well add another world championship to his Lakers resume if the team makes a bold move to improve the roster around him. That would certainly elevate him a notch in the eyes of others when it comes to where he ranks in the franchise’s storied history.
