As LeBron James plays through the final stage of his career, some of his greatest achievements and milestones have come in a Laker uniform. Earlier this week, he created history yet again by becoming the sole member of the 50,000-point club, combining his regular season and postseason points. Before that, he cracked the 40K club. And even before that, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record. You get the gist… But are these accomplishments enough to make LBJ an All-time Laker great? Surprisingly, Fox analyst Ric Bucher doesn’t think so!
Addressing LeBron’s tenure in LA, Bucher was rather appalled at the idea of calling him a Laker great, “As a dude from Inglewood, as a lifelong Lakers fan, the fact that you are setting the bar so low to be a Laker all-time great, Come on man. Just the entry fee is ten years of service and at least three championships.” Of course, Lakers are a franchise of champions, with legends like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson achieving far more than LeBron has so far. And Bucher does not see James in the same ranks.
When Paul Pierce asked Ric if LeBron was an all-time Laker great, the media veteran responded, “No! Are you kidding me! He’s an all-time great but he’s not an all-time Laker great. He’s got one title.” Yes, LeBron has won only one championship as a Laker, which many fans even discredit because it happened in the unusual circumstances of The Bubble during the Covid-19 pandemic. But what about his individual accolades?
Pierce reminded Bucher, “He passed Kareem in a Laker uniform. Broke 50,000 in a Laker uniform.” However, Ric continued with his weird take, “No No No! He’s done a bunch of things in a Laker uniform but he didn’t do them in a Laker uniform.” Most of LeBron’s records were accumulated over the course of his entire career playing for multiple teams, and not just the Lakers. So, its hard for Bucher to count them in his Lakers’ resume. Moreover, the analyst also had a weird response to the idea of LBJ eventually getting a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, “Hell No!”
Ric Bucher says you need 10 years of service and 3 championships to be considered a Lakers great
“LeBron isn’t an all-time Lakers great.”
( @SpeakOnFS1 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 7, 2025
Well, Ric’s stance is a bit weird because like it or not, LeBron is likely to get his jersey in the rafters and a potential statue once he hangs his boots. That’s because he played a huge part in making the Lakers relevant again. Yes, before he joined, the franchise was on a five-year playoff drought. But he ended their misery by leading them to a championship. Moreover, LBJ joining the Lakers snowballed into Anthony Davis and other big-name stars coming to LA. And now, they are legitimate contenders again with LeBron and Luka leading the charge. Although LeBron already has a solid case of being an All-time Laker, he could clear all doubts this year now that he has the perfect partner. Even LBJ’s longtime pal Carmelo Anthony sees the difference in the four-time champ’s emotional state following Luka’s arrival.
Carmelo Anthony claims LeBron James is “Happy” as Luka Doncic’s arrival has reversed roles in LA
While Bucher has his doubts about LBJ, Lakers winning another title could change his mind. And that’s looking more possible than ever before as the Lakers have jumped to the second seed in the West. All thanks to Luka’s arrival, which has sparked a new energy in LeBron. Even Carmelo Anthony said it on his podcast, “I’ve never seen him as happy as he looks playing the game right now.”
“They a lockdown defensive team right now, with Luka … The roles is reversed now. [LeBron] is AD right now, and Luka is him.”
LeBron/Luka’s dynamic & defensive evolution has the Lakers looking different in the West pic.twitter.com/0f3y3rvhfl
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) March 6, 2025
For the first time in his career, LBJ is the number two option on his team, which gives him more freedom to operate and makes the game easy for him. “All of them passes that Bron was throwing to AD, Luka is capable of making those same exact passes. The roles are reversed now. He’s AD right now and Luka is him. Now Bron knows ‘All I have to do is run the court. I’m gonna get a mismatch. If Luka throw it, I can go get it.’” Melo added. Yes, instead of playing the floor general role all the time, LeBron can let Luka run the show while he runs the floor and gets easy points. Melo believes this strategy is “very sustainable” as it could increase LeBron’s longevity further because of the reduced load. If Lakers continue this form, LBJ and Luka could even lead the franchise to a title right away. And then, Bucher might have no option left but to eat his words and acknowledge that LeBron is an All-Time Laker great after all. Do you agree?
The post Fox Analyst’s LeBron James Take Couldn’t Get Weirder as Close Friend Reveals Emotional State Since Luka Doncic Trade appeared first on EssentiallySports.
