Mailbox: Where Will LeBron James Rank All-Time with Lakers?

If LeBron James wins two titles over the next three years in L.A., where would you rank him on the list of all-time Laker greats? - Charles B.  

That’s a great and interesting question Charles. Thank you.
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The problem here is that the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied franchises, not just in the NBA, but in any professional sports league. They have so many legendary players in their illustrious history that you could put together a starting five and still be leaving out an all-time great.

That’s the problem facing LeBron James, who I wouldn’t argue with someone if they told me was the greatest player in NBA history, in your scenario. Even if James were to lead his Lakers team to two titles in the next three seasons, which is a big if I don’t believe he’d be a top-5 all-time Lakers player.

The Lakers easily have two of the 10 greatest players of all-time in NBA history in Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Both won five championships with the team and each won three MVPs with the team. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant are arguably top-10 all-time NBA players or borderline top-10 NBA players of all-time. Bryant, like Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar, also won five titles with the team. Shaq won three consecutive titles with the team. Kobe and Shaq each won an MVP in Los Angeles.

So, even if LeBron can win two titles in three years with the Lakers he’s automatically still behind these four players.

Then you have Mr. Laker Jerry West. West is such an iconic player with the Lakers and in the NBA that he’s literally the logo for the NBA. He only won one championship with the Lakers, mostly because they had to go up against the greatest force in pro sports history in the Boston Celtics of the 1960s, but even though in your scenario LeBron would have won more titles than West with the Lakers I couldn’t in good conscious rank him higher all-time as a Laker than West with such less time in a Lakers jersey.

At best I’d say LeBron would be the sixth greatest Los Angeles Lakers player of all-time, but even that seems like a bit of a slap in the face to Elgin Baylor. 

LBJ will have to settle for his no. 23 in the rafters in L.A. and being the greatest player in franchise history for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

-Julian Spivey

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