LeBron James spent eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, delivered an NBA championship, and became the league’s all-time leading scorer while wearing the purple and gold.

Now that he has left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, some Lakers fans believe he does not deserve a retired jersey or a statue.

NBA Fans Push Back as Lakers Supporters Deny LeBron James’ Place in Franchise History

In a video posted on Lakers All Day Everyday, a Lakers content creator asked fans whether James should have his jersey retired and receive a statue outside Crypto.com Arena. Most of those interviewed rejected both ideas.

One Lakers fan went further and questioned whether James was a true Laker at all. He named Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom as the players he considers real representatives of the franchise and said he was glad James had moved on.

Those responses drew immediate backlash from the basketball community.

One fan brushed off the opposition entirely, writing, “Well, LeBron will be getting a statue and jersey retired in Los Angeles. So, they can cry about it all they want.”

Another fan rejected the idea that James’ place in Lakers history is up for debate, posting, “This video encapsulates who the Laker fans are and who the player stans are. If you don’t think LeBron is getting his jersey retired, you’re just delusional. Straight up…That’s a Hall of Fame career for any player. He’s not a Kobe/Shaq/Magic/Kareem tier Laker, but he was integral to the franchise. There’s nothing to discuss.”

BronnyMuse took aim at the commitment of the fans rejecting James, commenting, “People call themselves d1ehard fans but stopped watching for 8 years.”

One fan kept it short, quipping, “Kinda feel bad for bronze fc.”

The comparison to former Lakers also drew heavy fire. One fan asked, “Would love to know how Trevor Ariza is a ‘True Laker’ and LeBron isn’t.”

Another fan said the video exposed a split inside the Lakers’ fan base, arguing, “In this video you literally see the difference between kobe fans and lakers fans, two different people.”

The criticism kept coming, with one fan claiming, “90% of Laker fans still live in 2010 and hail Luka even tho he only got 1 playoff win in his Laker tenure.”

Others skipped the debate and went straight to the insults. One declared, “These dudes lame as hell.” James joined Los Angeles in July 2018 and spent eight seasons with the Lakers before informing the team on June 30, 2026, that he would leave in free agency. Over that stretch, he went 287-192 in the regular season, scored 12,402 points, and led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship, earning Finals MVP honors that year. He wore both No. 23 and No. 6 as a Laker and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in a Lakers uniform, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous career scoring record of 38,387 points. In 2024, he also made history with his son, Bronny James, as part of the first father-son duo to share an NBA court.

The Lakers have retired 14 jerseys for 13 players, including Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal. Bryant and Johnson each won five championships with the franchise, which sets an extremely high bar for Lakers legends.

Although James won one title in Los Angeles, his impact on the franchise still carries real weight. Whether the organization eventually builds him a statue is a separate decision.