Greatest Lakers of all time: 13- LeBron James
- 5 seasons, 268 games, 1 title (Stats updated during 2023 NBA all-star break)
- 27.5 PPG
- 8.0 assists
- 8.1 rebounds
Of course LeBron is one of the greatest players of all time. But as a reminder, these player rankings are based solely on how they performed as a Laker. And James complied most of his success in his 15 seasons with Cleveland and Miami.
Why should he be ranked this high? Although most Lakers slotted in the dozen or so positions below him had longer careers with the Lakers, and many won multiple titles, all were supporting players. LeBron, along with AD, propelled the Lakers into championship #17 and helped position them as a probable contender for at least the next few years.
His scoring average would place him fourth on the Lakers list and he would rank second in assists per game. In the postseason, his averages of 27.6 points and 8.8 assists would put him, respectively, in third and second position.
Why shouldn’t he be ranked even higher? Similar to Davis, it’s a matter of LeBron’s short-term superiority compared with other’s longer-term preeminence.
If LeBron can win another title in Los Angeles then he will undoubtedly shoot up this list and surpass come Lakers legends. Until then, it is hard to rank the NBA’s all-time leading scorer higher than 13th.