Is LeBron James a Top 5 Los Angeles Laker of All Time?
On Monday night, it might have been the last time LeBron James played for the Los Angeles Lakers, getting swept in the Western Conference semifinals against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Which poses the question: Where does James rank all-time as a Laker?
In the grand scheme of the NBA, James has all but put himself next to Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player in history.
But purely as a Laker, where he’s spent eight seasons, does he crack the top five?
Here are my current top-five Lakers of all time, and whether James has done enough to make the ranking.
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1. Kobe Bryant
No one is going to argue this one, right? Bryant played the most games ever for the Lakers, and though there were times when he might have wanted to leave L.A., the ultra-competitor never left his home in the purple and gold.
Five championships, along with never playing for another NBA team, put Bryant in a rarified air that only one other past Laker can match.
2. Magic Johnson
One of the best five or so players to ever hoop, Johnson might be No. 1 on your list depending on the era you grew up in.
Johnson, in only 13 seasons, won five rings, three Finals MVPs, and three league MVPs, while also casually making All-NBA First Team honors nine times.
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Although he played his first six seasons in Milwaukee, the UCLA product is more remembered for his 14 years as a Laker.
He won three of his league MVPs with the Lakers and formed one of the greatest duos in the sport’s history with Magic during the team’s Showtime run in the 1980s.
4. Jerry West
Another easy pick: the man who is literally the NBA logo is also synonymous with the Lakers as a player and a front-office member.
Not only was he decorated with the team during his playing career, winning a title and being named an All-Star 14 times, but he was also the architect who helped the Lakers become a dynasty through his trade for a teenager named Kobe Bryant.
5. Shaquille O’Neal
Sorry, James.
While O’Neal and James both played eight seasons for the Lakers, there’s no real comparison when it comes to overall impact.
The Lakers got O’Neal in his absolute prime when he might have been the most dominant player in NBA history, winning three-straight titles alongside Bryant and taking home each Finals MVP in those victories. James, while still a great player, never had his best moments in a Lakers jersey; those came with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
Even discounting O’Neal, there are still the likes of Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, and others you might put as greater Lakers first before naming James, not as a disrespect to one of the greatest NBA players to ever take the court, but more of a highlighting fact of the golden history the Lakers possess.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 6:51 PM.