The 10 Greatest Lakers in history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
By Will Eudy
4. LeBron James - 24.8
Unlike most other players on this list, LeBron James joined the Lakers at the tail end of his prime years. Coming off eight straight trips to the NBA Finals, James left his hometown of Cleveland and opted to pursue the latter stages of his illustrious career with the most storied franchise in the history of the league.
Much of the conversation around LeBron's career will always be concerning his otherworldly longevity. A big reason he has notched such a high PER with LA despite turning 34 in his first season with the Lakers is his ability to adapt his game and remain productive in his role even with some of his natural gifts deteriorating.
One of those changes? Taking more three-point shots. With the NBA becoming even more perimeter-oriented in the last decade, LeBron took advantage of this trend that happened to line up well with his declining athleticism. The two seasons in his career he attempted the most threes were 2021-22 and 2019-20, both with the Lakers.
Combining that with his still-sharp passing ability has led to him having a fantastic run in six seasons in LA. James has a championship, Finals MVP, six All-Star selections, and five All-NBA teams to his name during his Lakers tenure.