It’s hard to believe, but LeBron James’s eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers was the longest continuous stretch with a team of his career. He arrived at a time when the franchise was searching for its next superstar following Kobe Bryant’s 2016 retirement and boy, did he deliver.
LeBron brought immediate star power back to Los Angeles, won a championship, broke all-time records and created moments bigger than basketball. Will he receive a statue? Where does he rank among Laker legends? There will be plenty of time to debate, but for now we reflect on LeBron’s chapter with the NBA’s most storied franchise.
These are LeBron James’ 10 Greatest Lakers Moments.
A Signing Fit For a King
Date: July 1, 2018
LeBron’s free agency during the summer of 2018 was a bit more conventional than in previous years. There was no decision as in 2010. He didn’t broadcast his destination via a Sports Illustrated essay. On the first day of free agency in 2018, it was simply announced that the NBA’s biggest superstar was joining its most famous franchise with the marriage officiant played by none other than Magic Johnson. For years the Lakers missed out on free agent signings, but when LeBron went to Magic’s house, the all-time great players clicked—even Kobe called LeBron and welcomed him.
Winning the Inaugural NBA Cup
Date: December 9, 2023
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is always monitoring other leagues and one thing he noticed was that soccer keeps fans excited with in-season tournaments. No one knew what to make of the NBA’s in-season tournament with colored courts and a final four-style knockout format in Las Vegas, but the Lakers took it seriously. Los Angeles steamrolled through their competition, defeating the Indiana Pacers in the Finals, becoming the first-ever NBA Cup winners. The Tournament’s first MVP? None other than King James, averaging 26.4 points, 8 rebounds and 7.6 assists mere weeks before his 39th birthday.
56 Points Against the Warriors
Date: March 5, 2022
In 2022, LeBron proved doubters wrong once again as the then-37-year-old dropped a whopping 56 points against the Warriors. He began his scoring barrage near the rim with creative layups from nearly every angle, before hitting five 3-pointers in the second half. He even threw in some memorable dunks for good measure, including a game-clinching one-handed alley-oop slam. The game serves as a signature showing for LeBron’s time with the Lakers.
41 is the New 31
Date: April 24, 2026
LeBron celebrated turning 41 during the 2025-26 season by showing he could still function as an elite NBA Player. The King averaged 20-7-6 on 51 percent shooting during his 23nd season and almost singlehandedly led the Lakers out of the first round of the playoffs amidst Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ injuries. The defining moment of this run came in Game 3 of the first round series against the Houston Rockets, when LeBron stole the ball and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 14 seconds left. The Lakers would go on to win 112-108 and take a 3 games to none lead.
A Royal Coronation of Dunks
Date: October 18, 2018
LeBron’s first game with the Lakers wasn’t memorable for the outcome (FTR: A 128-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers). But his first two baskets as a Laker demonstrated that the 34-year-old still had it. Less than three minutes into the game, LeBron raced down the court like a freight train on a breakaway. He cocked his arm back and pulled off his signature dunk with vigor, lift and ferocious power for his first points as a Laker. Less than 20 seconds later, he weaved through the defense and did it again with even greater strength! The LeBron-Lakers era had officially begun.
Logo-Three Vs. Golden State
Date: May 19, 2021
We’re used to seeing Steph Curry hit clutch shots from deep, but in the 2021 play-in tournament it was LeBron who put his opponents to sleep with a dagger 3-pointer. With the game tied at 100 in the final minute, LeBron caught the ball 30 feet away from the rim on the Staples Center logo and faded back as Steph ran towards him, draining the logo 3-pointer to put the Lakers up for good. LeBron had done to Steph what Steph had done to so many others. LeBron and Steph’s rivalry has produced some of the sport’s greatest moments, but on this night they showed their rivalry had more to give.
Kobe Tribute Dunk
Date: February 6, 2020
The Lakers were reeling in January 2020 after arguably the franchise’s greatest player Kobe Bryant died in a tragic helicopter crash. Less than a month later, LeBron gave Lakers fans a moment of healing. He ran down the right side of the baseline, gathered the ball on the left side of his body and threw down a reverse windmill slam. This may sound like ordinary LeBron business, but Kobe did the exact same dunk in the exact same spot, on the exact same court in 2001. "Kobe came down, put himself in my body and gave me that dunk on that break,” LeBron said afterwards.
First Father-Son Duo in NBA History
Date: October 22, 2024
It had long been talked about that LeBron might play long enough to step on the court with his son Bronny, but in 2024, this moment became a reality. With four minutes left in the second quarter, Bronny and LeBron checked into the game at the same time, making NBA history. Although Bronny didn’t score, the crowd roared whenever the father-son duo passed the ball to each other and when LeBron nearly assisted Bronny on a 3-pointer. Fans may remember that when 22-year-old LeBron won the Eastern Conference Championship in 2007, he held 2-year-old, cornrowed Bronny in his arms. To even fathom that LeBron would still be playing all these years later when Bronny entered the NBA was inconceivable. LeBron supported Bronny through his cardiac arrest and attended his high school games, so seeing him as a parent on the court was a touching testament to LeBron’s longevity.
NBA All-Time Leading Scorer
Date: February 7, 2023
When LeBron entered the league in 2003, Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record seemed untouchable. Even as LeBron became the youngest to reach every scoring milestone throughout his stints in Cleveland and Miami and back again in Cleveland, it seemed impossible. As he climbed the all-time scoring rankings though, it became inevitable. In February 2023, LeBron busted out the headband and Kareem was even in attendance as history was about to be made. With 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, LeBron hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He raised both hands in the air as the game stopped to crown the NBA’s new scoring king.
Winning the 2020 NBA Championship
Date: October 11, 2020
This was the true moment that made LeBron’s Lakers tenure worth remembering. Some critics place an asterisk beside the Bubble Chip, but the only asterisk it deserves is that it was the hardest to win. Laker legend Kobe had died, the world was in a global pandemic and the Lakers were quarantined in the Disney World NBA Bubble. But it was time for LeBron and Anthony Davis to shine. Bron led the Lakers to their first NBA Championship since 2010, finishing the deciding game with a 28-point triple-double. Not only that, but he won his fourth Finals MVP, averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists, cementing his place as a Laker legend.
