After eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James is looking to join a new team this summer.
James has been heavily linked to at least six teams, including the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, as reported by ESPN.
The four-time MVP left a complicated legacy with the Lakers despite bringing an NBA championship in 2020. Some fans celebrated his departure, while others were thankful for the eight years of service.
LeBron James’ Lakers Legacy Compared to NBA MVPs
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
On the latest episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast, Richard Jefferson defended LeBron James’ tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jefferson argued that James’ Lakers legacy is comparable to what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic did with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, respectively.
“His stretch of eight years was on par with Shai’s years,” Jefferson said, via HoopsHype. “Shai’s going to get a statue in OKC. It’s on par with Jokic. But somehow in LA, people are like, they glad that he’s gone. Did you all forget what it looked like before he got there? It was boo-boo.
“And so that’s to me when I start to see all these people, especially Lakers and LA people, because there’s Lakers fans and then there’s Kobe fans. There’s LeBron fans and then there’s Lakers fans. And that’s where the clash in my opinion. The Kobe fans wanted nothing to do with Bron being in LA wearing that purple and gold because Kobe was their guy.”
While Jefferson has a bit of bias with James since they were former teammates and even won a title together, there’s a valid argument in what he presented.
“King James” won an NBA title with the Lakers in eight seasons. SGA won one in seven seasons with the Thunder, while Jokic finally brought the Nuggets’ first championship in his eighth season with the franchise.
James didn’t win an MVP with the Lakers, while SGA and Jokic took home two and three, respectively. However, it should also be noted that James was 33 years old when he joined the Lakers.
As for some Kobe Bryant fans, as Jefferson said, there have been some form of animosity toward James since 2018.
Lakers Legend Explains LeBron James’ Legacy
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles towards the Dallas Mavericks bench in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on February 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Derek Fisher won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He spoke to California Post’s Melissa Rohlin and explained how LeBron James deserves all the love for bringing success to the Lakers in his eight seasons there.
“He took us to the playoffs [six] seasons, an NBA title, a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, the relevance, national television,” Fisher said. “The brand didn’t suffer. The Lakers are still world famous for great reasons.”
Fisher added that fans should not compare James’ Lakers career to Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant because they played their entire careers with the purple and gold franchise.
LeBron James’ Lakers Legacy Gets Bold Comparisons to NBA MVPs