James Worthy isn’t rushing to put LeBron James in the same box as the Lakers’ most untouchable legends, but he isn’t minimizing what James did in Los Angeles either.
The Hall of Famer, who spent his entire 12-year career with the Lakers, said LeBron’s run with the franchise deserves real appreciation, especially given where the team was before he arrived in 2018. Worthy pointed to the pressure that comes with playing in Los Angeles, where the standard is shaped by eras like Magic Johnson’s and Kobe Bryant’s three-peat.
“When you’re in LA, there’s a lot to compare to,” said Worthy, via TMZ. “There’s Magic’s era, there’s a dynasty with Kobe’s three-peat.
So that’s what they expect. But I think in the way that the league is evolving, and the way teams aren’t staying together as long, to get the job done.
So you’ll find the one hitter. LeBron was able to get one in the bubble here with us.
I can’t do nothing but appreciate it.”
Worthy also made it clear he remembers the Lakers before LeBron as a mess. He said, “I only think about what we were like before LeBron came,” Worthy added.
“It was misery. It was misery.
We weren’t getting in the playoffs; we weren’t winning. We were trading a lot of players away.
So, you know, for what he brought to us, he’s a huge draw globally. We didn’t win the championship; it was in the bubble, however.
But, you know what, look, for what he did for LA while he was here, I don’t think you can argue.”
That’s the balance with LeBron’s Lakers tenure: one championship, plenty of impact, and a legacy that still splits opinion. Worthy, 65, has praised James before and once called him the best athlete he’s ever seen. Still, he doesn’t sound sold on the idea that a statue in Los Angeles is automatic.
“I don’t know about that, it’s a long period of time you have to be here,” said Worthy on a potential James statue in Los Angeles. “Kobe was here his entire career.
Magic, Kareem, so that’s debatable. But he’ll get a statue without question in maybe two cities.
But you never know about LA. I don’t know how the organization is gonna feel about his career.
He’s broken records. He’s done a lot, so we’ll see at the end of his career if that’s feasible.”
Even with that uncertainty, Worthy still views the LeBron years as a success. He credited James with helping turn the Lakers from a rebuild into a contender, bringing Anthony Davis to the team and helping create the kind of environment where Austin Reaves could emerge as an undrafted success story. For Worthy, that’s enough to say LeBron left the franchise better than he found it.
In Other News...
Hawks Stuck In Another Kuminga Stalemate For One Frustrating Reason
Jonathan Kumingas free agency has turned into one of those slow-burn offseason situations where interest is easy to find, but the path to a deal is not. After the Hawks declined his player option for the 2026-27 season, Kuminga became an unrestricted free agent and immediately drew attention through both contract talks and sign-and-trade chatter, with the Lakers and Cavaliers among the teams linked to him. Atlanta has reportedly been open to moving him for Jarred Vanderbilt and draft picks, which at least gives the market a framework even if it has not produced much movement.
The issue now is less about whether teams want Kuminga and more about whether a structure can be found that works for everyone involved. He is said to be holding out for a better financial offer, and the longer this drags on, the more it becomes a question of leverage and timing as much as fit. For the Lakers, it is the kind of situation worth monitoring closely, because a player of Kumingas profile would change the conversation around the frontcourt if the right deal ever materializes. [Read more 🡒]
LeBrons Next Move Just Took A Twist Lakers Fans Know Too Well
Philadelphias offseason just got a lot more crowded after a blockbuster swing for Jaylen Brown and a reported push to bring in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and now LeBron James has entered the picture with his intention to sign a two-year deal with the 76ers. For a team that has been aggressively reshaping its roster, the appeal is obvious: add another marquee name, keep the momentum going, and build around a group that suddenly looks far more formidable on paper.
The complication is the same one that tends to follow these kinds of moves, especially when a team is stacking talent this quickly. Philadelphia is still working through the roster math as discussions continue, and the next step will determine whether James can be folded in cleanly or whether the structure of the deal has to change before anything becomes official. For Lakers fans, it is the kind of familiar twist that turns a headline into a waiting game. [Read more 🡒]