LeBron James is one of the all-time greats, arguably THE best ever to step on the hardwood.
But is he a Lakers great?
Former LeBron teammate Richard Jefferson said no, on his own Road Trippin’ podcast with Allie Clifton and Channing Frye.
“LeBron James has not done enough as a Laker to be on that list. 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.”
Jefferson has praised LeBron countless times, calling him the greatest scorer the game has ever seen.
LeBron is as great a player as any who ever pulled on a purple and gold jersey. However, Jefferson’s point is valid: LeBron’s Lakers-only resume does not stack up against the likes of Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, even Shaquille O’Neal.
LeBron came to the Lakers late in his career and lived up to the promise by bringing a title to the city — the Lakers will retire his number someday for that — plus, he helped pull the franchise out of the worst stretch in its history when Los Angeles missed the playoffs six straight years. The Lakers’ struggles during the last four years, such as last season, are not LeBron’s fault (blame a combination of the front office and injuries).
LeBron has been everything the Lakers needed him to be since coming to the city. But that doesn’t mean he’s a Lakers great like the guys with the statues outside Staples Center.
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Richard Jefferson: LeBron ‘has not done enough’ to be considered Lakers great originally appeared on NBCSports.com
