Is LeBron James a Laker great?
Looking at LeBron James' resume, it is easy to see that when stacked up against other competition, he is arguably one of the best players to play the game. Four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four regular-season MVPs, and 19 All-Star selections (and counting). However, while I can confidently say that James is an all-time great, I was conflicted when asked if James a Laker legend I was conflicted.
While I respect James and all he's done in his career, I still think there are a few more things he has to accomplish during his tenure with the Lakers.
When you become a Laker, you're automatically held to a higher standard than any other organization in the league, not to mention the already high standards that people have for James. For this reason, I believe some people may argue that James has not achieved enough during his time with the Lakers thus far.
Fans won't overlook that a James-led Lakers team has missed the playoffs two times during his stance with the Lakers (2019, 2022) while also getting eliminated in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. And while I personally believe there were a lot more factors that contributed to these losses, like team health and roster construction, some people may argue that James still should have found a way to win because that's the expectations that come with being a Lakers legend. While I don't disagree with this statement fully, I do believe that people overlook the positive things that James has contributed to this organization.
Before James joined the Lakers, this team had not made the playoffs for six consecutive years. The last time they were in the playoffs without James, they got eliminated in the first round. The first year James got this team to the playoffs, he won the organization an NBA championship in the toughest environment in NBA history. Not only that, but he brought excitement back to this franchise and reignited "Showtime Lakers" basketball.
James has averaged well over 26.9 points, 8.1 assists, and eight rebounds per game throughout his tenure as a Laker. Not to mention James is doing this all in his late 30s, and he still produces at the highest efficiency level.
I believe that for James to seal himself as a Lakers great, he must win one more championship. Another ring would allow James to finish his Lakers tenure with two NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, five All-Star appearances, and likely the No. 1 spot on the all-time scoring list.
While other people may disagree with this, I truly believe that a player like James is a once-in-a-generation talent, and him putting on that purple and gold jersey and leading this franchise to another championship at the age of 38 is enough to get 23 up in the rafters.
