Tim Hardaway on if LeBron James is top 5 in Lakers history: ‘Hell naw’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has had a memorable stint in Los Angeles, but there’s still room for debate about where he ranks in franchise history.

The 40-year-old, often mentioned in the NBA G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) conversation, has completed six seasons with the Purple and Gold and is currently working on his seventh.

The way Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway sees it, James is “up there” in Lakers history but certainly isn’t in the top five for the franchise.

“He played five years, right?” Hardaway began, speaking on James’ L.A. tenure. “Five, six years for him. I mean, we not gonna discount LeBron. LeBron is up there. He not top five as a Laker.”

Asked to confirm his take, Hardaway made himself clear. He then implied that the Lakers have had too many legends throughout their history for James to be in the top five.

“Hell naw,” he said on whether James is a top five Laker. “… Next time you go in that arena, look up there.”

The argument for James belonging outside of the top five in Lakers history has nothing to do with his overall resume as an NBA player and everything to do with what his L.A. stint specifically has looked like.

There is no denying that James, a 21-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP, is one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen, but when evaluating his Lakers legacy, it only makes sense to consider what he has accomplished since coming over to L.A.

With the Lakers, he has averaged 26.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. He has earned a number of impressive accolades during his L.A. stint but hasn’t captured an MVP award. In the 2022-23 season, James passed fellow Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

In terms of team success, James has helped the Lakers win one NBA championship (2019-20 season) and one NBA Cup (2023-24 season). The squad had a nice run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2022-23 season but was ultimately eliminated. This season, L.A.’s title chances are hard to evaluate following their blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

Over the years, the Lakers have had some legends spend most or all of their careers with the franchise. With James, that won’t be the case, as he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and then the Cavs again before coming to L.A. That may be a knock against him when it comes to his place in Lakers history.

But all things considered, the veteran has had an admirable stint with Los Angeles, and he isn’t done just yet. He still has time to add to his L.A. legacy and build more of a case that he deserves to be called a top five Laker.