The Los Angeles Lakers have officially reached the end of the LeBron James era after he spent eight seasons with the franchise. Despite winning an NBA Championship in 2020 for the Lakers, some fans don’t treat him like a hero for his accomplishments there. The franchise has such a strong history of winning and creating dynasty cores that winning one title doesn’t hold the same weight it does for almost any other franchise.
Lakers legend Byron Scott shared his thoughts and claimed LeBron didn’t win enough to get remembered fondly:
“So, LeBron coming here was not something that they really embraced. I think we here in Los Angeles, when you have one championship only in the last eight or nine years, that’s not good enough. It’s just not what we’re used to. So, I said this last year, I think it’s time for the Lakers and LeBron to kind of part ways and move forward.”
Scott backed up the thought that expectations are different for the Lakers than other teams. The Boston Celtics and Lakers are the two most winningest teams in NBA history to make life tougher for new stars. James winning one NBA Championship doesn’t compare to past legends like Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant’s longer stints of many title wins.
Byron Scott Also Said Kobe’s Legacy Hurt LeBron James
Another take from Scott about LeBron and how Lakers fans view him features comparisons to Bryant. Scott thinks that James having the first relevant Lakers run after Kobe retired led to less hype. LeBron and Anthony Davis did great things together, but they only won one NBA Championship. Bryant’s five rings made it harder for James to get credit for his peaks.
“It was interesting like you said,” Scott said. “There’s no in between. There’s either you hate him or you love him for whatever reason. And I think a lot of it has to do with KB. You have so many people here in Los Angeles that love Kobe.”
A previous perceived rivalry between Bryant and James likely plays into this too. Despite never meeting in the NBA Playoffs, both men competed for the “best player in the world” label during LeBron’s time on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
How Will Lakers Fans Greet LeBron James
LeBron leaving the Lakers in favor of the Philadelphia 76ers was arguably the biggest story of the offseason. The first game back in Los Angeles will come for James on Christmas day if he stays healthy.
Most Lakers will likely cheer LeBron since he gave his all to the franchise and did give them another ring after some terrible seasons in the post-Kobe era. The team also has Luka Doncic there in his prime to lead the franchise.
Lakers fans have no true reason to boo James, and only a small percentage of fans will have a negative reaction. Scott is likely speaking more on social media fans where criticism is thrown around more liberally about NBA topics. LeBron even helped Austin Reaves break out to help the franchise’s future beyond his era.
Respected Lakers Legend Says LeBron James Didn’t Win Enough