Shaquille O’Neal Doesn’t Think LeBron James Will Be Remembered As a Lakers Great

Shaquille O’Neal hinted that LeBron James isn’t even a Top-5 Laker of all time.

Shaquille O’Neal Doesn’t Think LeBron James Will Be Remembered As a Lakers Great

LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal (Image credits - Firstsportz)

LeBron James stunned the NBA world when he decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight years. When he joined the esteemed franchise in 2018, many expected him to end his career with the purple and gold. But James had other plans.

When James joined the Lakers in 2018 as a free agent, the franchise was struggling. While they did have some talented young players, they had failed to make it to the playoffs since 2013. However, James made them relevant once again after delivering them a championship after a decade.

For all his achievements during his time in LA, former Lakers champion Shaquille O’Neal believes that he will not be remembered as a Lakers great due to the achievements of his predecessors.

The good thing for LeBron is he did win one. But you know, Kareem got 6, Magic got 5, Kobe got 5, I got 4, Rambis got 3. So you know, he’s at the party, but he’s not on stage.

Shaquille O’Neal on USA Today

Shaquille O’Neal knows what it takes to play for the Lakers and how to win their fans over. Similarly to James, O’Neal spent eight seasons playing for the Lakers as well.

However, during his tenure, he led his team to four NBA Finals and won three championships. He was named the Finals MVP in all three championship runs. But despite achieving so much, O’Neal believed that he was not loved by the fans like his partner in crime, Kobe Bryant.

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LeBron James departed the Lakers with a mixed legacy

When James joined the Lakers in 2018, he was already an All-Time great. He was 33-years-old and had already won three championships. He had been to eight consecutive NBA Finals prior to his first season with the Lakers.

LeBron James
LeBron James (Image credits – Yahoo Sports)

However, it is difficult to put James at the same level as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and O’Neal. The likes of Johnson and Bryant spent their entire careers playing for the Lakers, and all of them won three or more championships.

But James did sign with the Lakers when they were deprived of success. He brought relevancy to the franchise by turning them into contenders once again and won a title in his second season. He also broke the All-Time scoring record in 2023, which was held by Abdul-Jabbar for nearly 39 years.

Following his departure from the Lakers, reports emerged that James was not very happy with the way he was treated by Lakers Nation. There is no doubt he is one of the greatest to ever play the game, but he wasn’t quite embraced by the fans the way other icons had been in the past. He did win one title for the Lakers, but the standards there are much higher than anywhere else.

LeBron James doesn’t merit a statue with only one ring

The Lakers are the most storied franchise in the NBA. They have won 17 championships throughout their history and have had some of the biggest names ever play for them. Considering their history, LeBron James should not expect to rank high in the list of the all-time Lakers’ greats.

Former NBA star Byron Scott weighed in on James’ Lakers legacy and whether it warrants a statue at the Crypto.com Arena.

Right now, if you look at the players that have statues in front of the Crypto.com, these are long lifers. They’ve been with the Lakers for almost their entire career, and they’ve had multiple championships. I think the only one that didn’t is probably Jerry West. But other than that, West spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s the logo for a reason. So, right now at this particular point — and I’m a big LeBron James fan for what he’s been able to do on and off the court, but statue? No.

Byron Scott on TMZ Sports

James’ tenure with the Lakers is his longest single stint in a franchise. The 41-year-old joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal in the summer and is looking to become the first player in NBA history to win a championship in four different franchises.

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