Shaquille O’Neal believes LeBron James’ Lakers legacy is significant but falls short of the franchise’s most decorated stars because of his championship total. James won one title during his eight-season Lakers tenure, while the franchise’s leading championship winners collected multiple championships in Los Angeles.
“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,” O’Neal said.
James joined the Lakers in 2018 and delivered the organization’s 17th championship in 2020. That title came during his second season in Los Angeles, when James averaged 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists in 67 regular-season games before leading the Lakers through the Orlando bubble postseason.
His Lakers tenure also included sustained individual production despite significant changes to the roster. James averaged at least 24.4 points per game in every season from 2018-19 through 2024-25, including 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games during the 2021-22 season.
James remained productive into his 40s. In 2024-25, at age 40, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists while shooting 51.3% from the field, then averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists over 60 games in 2025-26.
The 2025-26 season was James’ final campaign with the Lakers. Los Angeles finished 53-29, good for fourth place in the Western Conference, before being swept 4-0 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
James finished his Lakers run with one championship, three All-NBA first-team selections, two All-NBA third-team selections and eight All-Star selections during his eight seasons with the franchise. His broader NBA résumé includes four championships, four MVP awards and four Finals MVP awards.
O’Neal’s comparison places James against a group of Lakers players whose championship totals defined their time with the franchise. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won five of his six NBA championships with the Lakers, Magic Johnson won all five of his championships with Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant won all five with the Lakers, and O’Neal won three of his four titles with the organization.
The Lakers’ decision to move forward without James in 2026 has now ended his eight-year run with the franchise. Los Angeles is building its next era around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler after reaching the Western Conference semifinals in 2026.
James leaves the Lakers with one championship and eight All-Star selections.
