There are too many superstars in the history of the Lakers. James has the most position in the history of the Lakers. He can t enter the top ten.

On June 17, LeBron James' position is indeed a controversial topic when discussing the ranking of superstars in the Lakers history. As one of the most successful teams in NBA history, the Lakers have many legendary stars, from George McCann, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, to "Magics" Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. These names represent the glorious history of the Lakers. In contrast, although James brought the Lakers a 2020 championship, he may be at most in the top ten in the superstar rankings in Lakers history, and is difficult to enter the top five.

First of all, in terms of the number of championships, a championship that James brought to the Lakers is obviously not comparable to other legends in the team history. George McCann led the Lakers to win 5 championships, laying the foundation for the Lakers dynasty; "Magic" Johnson led the "Showtime" Lakers to win 5 championships in the 1980s; Jabbar and "Magic" teamed up to bring 5 championships to the Lakers; O'Neal and Kobe's "OK combination" completed three consecutive championships at the beginning of the new century; Kobe led the Lakers to the top twice after O'Neal left. In contrast, although a championship of James is precious, he obviously cannot be compared with these legends in terms of championship contributions in Lakers' history.

Secondly, in terms of playing time and team history influence, James spent relatively short time with the Lakers. He joined the Lakers in 2018 and has only played for the team for 6 seasons (as of 2025). Players like Kobe have devoted their entire 20 years of career to the Lakers and become the symbol and spiritual leader of the team. Jerry West and "Magic" Johnson and others have also devoted their entire career to the Lakers, whose names are closely linked to Lakers' history. Although James has performed well with the Lakers, most of his career achievements (such as 4 MVPs and 3 of 4 championships) have been accomplished on other teams, which has somewhat weakened his position in Lakers history.

Furthermore, from the perspective of cultural identity and fan emotions, Lakers fans often have deeper emotions about the stars they "trained at home". Kobe, Magic, West and others all played for the Lakers as soon as they entered the league and gradually grew into superstars. James joined the Lakers as a free agent. Although he brought the team a championship, in the hearts of fans, he may never be regarded as a "pure Lakers" like Kobe or the Magic. This emotional factor often plays an important role in team history rankings.

Of course, James' personal abilities and achievements are beyond doubt. He is one of the greatest players in NBA history and even ranks in the top two in the rankings of many media and experts. But in the context of Lakers' history, his status will be limited by the above factors. The top five stars in the Lakers' history are likely to be Magic Johnson, Kobe, Jabbar, O'Neal and Jerry West. James may compete with George McCann, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy and others in the sixth to tenth position.

In addition, the ranking of superstars in the history of the Lakers also involves differences in the background of the times and game style. George McCann was the early dominant center in the NBA. Although Jerry West and Elgin Baylor fought repeatedly with the Celtics in the 1960s, they won respect; "Magic" Johnson defined the gorgeous basketball in the 1980s; O'Neal and Kobe represented the dominance of the early century. Although James has shown omnipotence in modern basketball, his Lakers career has not defined an era like the stars mentioned above.

It is worth mentioning that although the 2020 championship has added glory to the history of the Lakers, the value of this championship has also been questioned. Due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, the season was suspended for a while, and the game was held in a "bubble" environment after the rematch. This special environment made some fans think that the competition conditions for the champion are different from those of the regular season. Although James and Anthony Davis have performed impeccably, this championship may not be as heavy as other "traditional" champions in Lakers' history.

To sum up, LeBron James' status in Lakers' history is indeed difficult to enter the top five. Although he is one of the greatest players in basketball history and has brought a championship to the Lakers, his achievements and influence are relatively limited in a team like the Lakers with a deep history and many legends. The team's top five positions in history have been firmly occupied by Magic, Kobe, Jabbar, O'Neal and West, and James may need to compete with legends such as McCann, Baylor, Worthy to have the sixth to tenth positions. In any case, James' name has been engraved in the honor book of Lakers' history, but in this star-studded team, his brilliance may not be as dazzling as it was when it was other teams.