Weird, but true: LeBron James’ tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers has lasted longer than his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With James now in his eighth season in Purple and Gold, it’s just another reminder of his unprecedented longevity that’s been, well, unprecedented.
Here’s another jaw-dropping stat: According to NBACrazyStats, ’Bron has played with or against 36.43% of everyone who has ever played in the NBA. As for teammates, he played with Dwyane Wade. He played with Shaq. Bosh. Bamba. Two Beasley’s. A Boobie. And a Bronny.
Now, after missing the first 14 games of the season with a sciatic injury, he’s back with the Lakers, which means additions to the list such as Deandre Ayton and Jake Lavaria. In honor of the King’s return, we deduce Who is LeBron James' Best Lakers Teammate?
*The rankings are based on the player's status during their time as LeBron’s teammate on the Lakers. For example, of course Carmelo Anthony was a better basketball player than Alex Caruso, but 2020 Alex Caruso was better than 38-year-old Carmelo Anthony.*
110. Chris Mañon (2025-2026)
Chris Mañon played just two NBA games in his career, and they were both with the Lakers.
109. Quincy Olivari (2024-2025)
Small sample size, but posted a majorly negative Player Efficiency Rating (PER), among a bunch of other advanced stats.
108. Alex Len (2024-2025)
Big guy, but even bigger problems on offense and defense.
107. Dylan Windler (2023-2024)
The Belmont University product didn’t play enough to say much about his game one way or the other. Still, he did hit 50% of his threes, which with LeBron, is always great. We sure the Lakers couldn’t use him now? (They’re dead last in three pointers made).
106. D’Moi Hodge (2023-2024)
In his lone NBA season, D'Moi Hodge was relegated to barely scant amounts of garbage time.
105. Harry Giles (2023-2024)
After suffering multiple knee injuries in high school and beyond, Giles was never quite able to live up to his status as ESPN’s No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2016. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to turn the tide on the Lakers.
104. Davon Reed (2022-2023)
Reed was efficient, but in extremely limited action.
103. Sterling Brown (2022-2023)
Brown played about 1.5 minutes per game in four contests with the Lakers, and he averaged less than a field goal attempt a game each time he took the hardwood.
102. Jay Huff (2021-2022)
Huff carved out a nice role for himself on the Indiana Pacers, but played a grand total of 20 minutes for the Lakers during his lone stint with the squad.
101. Darren Collison (2021-2022)
Collison was obviously a solid guard in his prime, but by the time he played for the Lakers during his age 34 season, he was way past it.
100. Chaundee Brown Jr. (2021-2022)
Brown only played about 21 minutes for the Lakers. The University of Michigan product now suits up for the Taiwan Professional Basketball League’s (TPBL) New Taipei Kings.
99. Zach Norvell Jr. (2019-2020)
Norvell played two games for the Lakers before heading back to his alma mater to become Gonzaga Men’s Basketball assistant coach.
98. Scott Machado (2018-2019)
While Scott held down an incredible 78 true shooting percentage during his four games played with the Lakers, he only averaged 2.5 points per game.
97. Jemerrio Jones (2018-2019, 2021-2022)
Both of Jones’ tenures with the Lakers were unproductive and inefficient as the NBA was a pitstop for the rest of his career. He was waived by Orlando Magic’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, last January.
96. Scotty Pippen Jr. (2022-2023)
If the Lakers had seen the vision, Scotty Pippen Jr. could have developed into the solid, three-level scoring, capable playmaking backup point guard he became on the Memphis Grizzlies. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and he never really got a chance, playing 6 games before being waived.
95. Mac McClung (2021-2022)
Despite utterly dominating the G League, Mac McClung has never truly stuck around on an NBA team, and the Lakers were no exception.
94. Mason Jones (2021-2022)
Mason Jones only played four games with the Lake Show, but he averaged about 7 points per game with a 62.5 true shooting percentage when he was on the court.
93. Nick Smith Jr. (2025-2026)
Having watched Nick Smith Jr. in high school and college, he has potential, and he’s proved that by getting 7 points per game on fringe adequate efficiency in the moments he’s actually made it onto the floor.
92. Colin Castleton (2023-2024)
Colin Castleton got up less than two points per contest when he was in games, which wasn’t often.
91. Armel Traore (2024-2025)
Armel Traoré currently plays for LDLC ASVEL of the LNB Élite, but last season, he was fighting to secure himself a spot in the association. Things didn’t work out on the Lakers, but perhaps he’ll be back one day.
90. Kostas Antetokounmpo (2019-2020)
Shout outs to Kostas, but Lakers fans and anyone with common sense knows what this was about.
89. Tristan Thompson (2023 Playoffs)
In a bizarre twist, Thompson only played on the Lakers for a few games during the 2023 postseason.
88. Maxi Kleber (2025 - Present)
A salary throw-in in the Luka Doncic trade, Kleber has averaged almost as many fouls per game as points with the Lakers.
87. Sekou Doumbouya (2021-2022)
He wasn’t there long, but Doumbouya posted 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game on objectively elite efficiency. But a total of 16 minutes played is the definition of “small sample size.”
86. Mo Bamba
For all his size and athleticism Mo Bamba never had the on-court production to match his physical talents. Things didn’t change much on the Lakers, as he started just one game during his lone season in Purple and Gold.
85. Devontae Cacok (2019-2021)
In 21 games with the Lakers, Devontae Cacok scored 91 points, making him, functionally, a space-filler on the squad.
84. Shaquille Harrison (2023 Playoffs)
Like Tristan Thompson, Harrison only ever played for the Lakers in the three games during the 2023 playoffs.
83. Mike Muscala (2019)
Muscala arrived in a disastrous deadline deal with the Clippers for 22-year-old Ivica Zubac, now one of the 50 Best Players in the NBA.
82. Matt Ryan (2022-2023)
In his lone year with the Lake Show, Matt Ryan averaged less than 4 points per game on about 30% shooting from the floor.
81. Isaac Bonga (2018-2019)
Another member of the inconsequential 2018-2019 Lakers, Bonga played in 22 games, and was out of the league entirely by 2022.
80. Skylar Mays (2023-2024)
Mays had a reputation as a three-point specialist at LSU but it didn’t translate to the NBA.
79. D.J. Augustin (2021-2022)
D.J. Augustin’s commendable 14-year career came to an end in Los Angeles where, in limited minutes, he offered up solid efficiency while keeping the turnovers low. A pro until the end.
78. Andre Ingram (2018-2019)
You have to give serious props to Andre Ingram, who spent much of his career in the G League (then called the D League) while he worked as a math tutor helping students be their best selves. In the 2017-2018 season, he finally got his break on an NBA team at age 32, averaging 12 points per game. His second stint with the Lakers, the one with LeBron, wasn’t as successful. But he already had a pretty incredible moment.
77. Johnathan Williams (2018-2019)
Jonathan Williams scored with solid efficiency, but his limited volume and limited rebounding rendered him an afterthought.
76. Trey Jemison (2024-2025)
Jemison played only 22 games for the Lakers, and in them, he averaged less than 3 points and 2 rebounds per game.
75. Isaiah Thomas (2021-2022)
Unfortunately, Thomas never recovered from a hip injury in 2017. By the time he arrived in LA,, he was a shadow of his former, virtuosic scoring self. His stint with the Lakers lasted just four games in which he only shot about 31% from the field.
74. Trevor Ariza (2021-2022)
By the time Trevor Ariza made his way back to the Lakers, his two-way steadiness had pretty much evaporated.
73. Jalen Hood-Schifino (2023-2025)
The 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is already out of the league.
72. Damian Jones (2020-2021, 2022-2023)
In both stints as a Laker, Damian Jones was largely a nonfactor, and his numbers show he actually hurt the squad while he was actually on the court.
71. Adou Thiero (2025-Present)
An athletic sparkplug, the rookie from Arkansas has potential to become a solid rotation piece off the bench.
70. Svi Mykhailiuk (2018-2019)
Though a non-factor as a Laker, Mykhailiuk has since developed into a potent 3-point shooter.
69. Kent Bazemore (2021-2022)
Dreadful offense and defense made Kent Bazemore’s time as a Laker pretty uneventful in one of the years they missed the playoffs.
68. Alfonzo McKinnie (2020-2021)
A forward with limited offensive ability, but more than adequate defensive capabilities.
67. Bronny James (2024-Current)
Bronny has shown flashes as both a defender and playmaker, and should move up this list after more G League reps. But he must improve his 3-point shot to become a productive NBA player.
66. Moritz Wagner (2018-2019)
Franz’s older brother is now a dependable back-up big with the Orlando Magic.
65. Christian Koloko (2024-Current)
Christian is young enough to turn things around, but thus far he hasn’t managed to be productive as part of the Laker organization.
64. Shake Milton (2024-2025)
Another entirely neutral force in the continuum of Lakers rosters that have rarely been good enough in the LeBron era.
63. Maxwell Lewis (2023-2025)
Maxwell Lewis didn’t stick around long, and when he was with Bron and the Lakers, he didn’t do much.
62. Troy Daniels (2019-2020)
In his lone season with the Lakers, Troy Daniels failed to make an impact on either side of the ball, and didn’t end up playing in the bubble at all.
61. Jordan Goodwin (2024-2025)
Though not used much in limited time with the Lakers, Goodwin showed flashes that he had a future as a rotation piece. Now getting good minutes in Phoenix as a backup point guard.
60. Dion Waiters (2019-2020)
"I'd rather go 0-for-30 than 0-for-9. That means you stopped shooting. That means you lost confidence,” Dion Waiters. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Dion Waiters experience.
59. Jared Dudley (2019-2021)
Though he excelled as a designated “locker room guy,” Jared Dudley’s roughly 1 point per game average and negligible defense contributions made his on-court presence pretty nil.
58. Wesley Matthews (2020-2021)
Wesley Matthews was a ghost of his former self by the time he got to the Los Angeles Lakers, providing neither the defense nor shooting needed to make the impact the Lakers hoped he would when he arrived.
57. Wayne Ellington (2021-2022)
A 3&D wing who shot and defended well enough to justify that label. This was his last stop in the league.
56. Ben McLemore (2020-2021)
McLemore remained a poor defender during his tenure with the Lakers and was gone after one season. He is now serving over eight years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault charges including first-degree rape.
55. J.R. Smith (2019-2020)
By the time J.R. Smith arrived on the Los Angeles Lakers, he wasn’t making nearly enough tough shots to justify his questionable defense and destructive lack of basketball IQ.
54. Christian Wood (2023-2024)
Injury plagued big man who could score but couldn’t defend.
53. Juan Toscano-Anderson (2022-2023)
While his story proved to be inspirational, Juan Toscano-Anderson was ultimately an ineffective roster-filler on the Lakers, averaging less than three points and three assists per game in a lost season for the Purple and Gold.
52. Michael Beasley (2018-2019)
The second pick of the 2008 NBA Draft ended his disappointing NBA career averaging 7 points per game on a disappointing Lakers team.
51. Lance Stephenson (2018-2019)
By this point, Lance was pretty much done as a productive NBA player—he never really got to make up for that time he blew in LeBron’s ear.
50. Cam Reddish (2023-2025)
A lengthy wing who looked good on paper but whose game disappointed at every stop and at all levels.
49. Kendrick Nunn (2022-2023)
Due to injuries, Kendrick Nunn never truly worked out outside of his lone rookie season in Miami. The same was true with the Lakers.
48. DeAndre Jordan (2021-2022)
Run all you want, Father Time is Michael Myers on steroids, and by the time DeAndre Jordan got to the Lakers, he had his grasp on DeAndre Jordan.
47. Gabe Vincent (2023-Current)
Gabe Vincent’s 2023 playoff run with the Miami Heat was pretty inspiring, so much so that the Lakers signed him to a three-year $33 million deal. Unfortunately, he’s played just over a full-season’s worth of games since joining the squad, and has been a sub-replacement player the whole time.
46. Talen Horton-Tucker (2019-2022)
THT’s intriguing dimensions and occasional highlights sometimes gave him the appearance of a potential starter. But his putrid efficiency made him a liability, even if he was on the 2020 Finals team.
45. Tyson Chandler (2018-2019)
At this point in his career, Tyson Chandler could still be a moderately impactful defensive force. But he couldn’t do much of anything else and his presence was largely inconsequential in a throwaway Laker season doomed by LeBron’s groin strain.
44. Patrick Beverly (2022-23)
Aside from an incredible dunk against the Celtics, Pat Bev had a fairly unremarkable run in his 45-game stint as a Los Angeles Laker. And yet being even a neutral offensive and defensive force is technically above average in the league.
43. Jaxson Hayes (2023-Current)
Jaxson Hayes doesn’t score or play a lot, but he scores efficiently with a 72 true shooting percentage with the Lakers. However, at about five points and four rebounds per game, he’s not particularly productive and hasn’t shown signs of developing much in six seasons.
42. Dalton Knecht (2024-Current)
Dalton Knecht simply hasn’t been the same since the Lakers dangled him in the aborted Mark Williams trade last season. But he’s been an adequate shooter for much of his time on the roster, averaging about 9 points per game on slightly above average efficiency.
41. Spencer Dinwiddie (2023-2024)
Before tearing his ACL, Dinwiddie was a high-efficiency slashing guard who got to the line a lot. He was similarly efficient with the Lakers, but the volume was way down and his defense was non-existent.
40. Markieff Morris (2019-2021, 2024-2025)
Ostensibly a serviceable role player with adequate size and the ability to make some shots and defend at times.
39. Quinn Cook (2019-2021)
Unspectacular, but not devastatingly bad, Quinn Cook provided some sharpshooting and heady enough decision making during his run with the Lakers. He just wasn’t big enough to be an adequate defensive presence and make the most of his reliable offensive skillset.
38. Stanley Johnson (2021-22)
During his time with the Lakers, Stanley Johnson was well past his prime as a truly solid 3&D wing. But he was also better than many other Lakers that tried to fill this role.
37. Jake LaRavia (2024-2025)
LaRavia looked like a good fit next to LeBron in their first game together, dropping 16 points off the bench.
36. Wenyen Gabriel (2021-2023)
Wenyen scored efficiently enough, but didn’t actually score much at all, and his defense wasn’t exactly incredible either.
35. Max Christie (2022-2025)
Max Christie has the makings of a solid two-way tertiary threat, but didn’t come close to maximizing that potential during his time with the Lakers. Has since developed into a solid bench contributor with the Mavericks.
34. Taurean Prince (2023-2024)
While Prince delivered reliable shooting efficiency, he lacked the volume or defensive chops to make a meaningful impact on the 2023-2024 Lakers.
33. Malik Beasley (2022-2023)
In his short stint with the Lakers, Beasley didn’t provide the long-range marksmanship he was asked to deliver.
32. Reggie Bullock (2018-2019)
Another in a decently long line of would-be effective 3-and-D players.
31. Russell Westbrook (2021-2023)
Fit be damned, a trio of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis would have been devastating—in 2016. But during this stint with the Lakers, Russ' erratic decision making and poor shooting rendered the team better with him off the floor, both on offense and defense.
30. Thomas Bryant (2022-2023)
In his brief 41-game run with the Lakers, Thomas Bryant served up a hyper-efficient 12 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Unfortunately his defense was weak and he became unhappy with his role when Anthony Davis returned from injury. He won a chip with the Denver Nuggets that same year, though he barely played during the playoffs.
29. Jarred Vanderbilt (2022-Current)
The Lakers were hoping for a solid 3-and-D player when they signed Jarred Vanderbilt to a four-year, $48 million contract in 2023. Unfortunately, injuries have sidelined him and his production on the court has been less than ideal at around five points and five rebounds and only 79 games played since 2024.
28. Andre Drummond (2020-2021)
By the numbers, Andre Drummond is one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history. With the Lakers, he averaged 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds to go along with 1.1 steals and 1 block per game but his lack of shooting created spacing problems on offense.
27. Marc Gasol (2020-2021)
Gasol didn’t score much during his swan song, but the Lakers were a little better with him on the court. At 19 minutes per game, his impact could only stretch so far.
26. Avery Bradley (2019-2020, 2021-2022)
In two stints with the LeBron Lakers, Avery Bradley provided adequate perimeter defense with some scoring. A younger version would have paired with Bron more favorably.
25. Josh Hart (2018-2019)
Now a beloved New York Knick, Hart was a fun sparkplug with the Lakers, whose role diminished after LeBron signed. 2025 Josh Hart would be an ideal fit next to Bron. But 2019 Hart’s lack of scoring punch and three-point shooting made it clear he was not that.
24. Montrezl Harrell (2020-2021)
The Lakers hoped Harrell would match his output with the Clippers when they signed the defending 6th Man of the Year. But his 13.5 points per game on 65 TS% ultimately didn’t resonate because he was such a defensive liability; Harrell was too small to protect the rim and couldn’t keep up with stretch bigs and wings.
23. Carmelo Anthony (2021-2022)
Carmelo might not have been what he was in his prime, but his polished footwork and smooth jumper made him a strong one-on-one scorer with 13.3 points on solid efficiency in year 19.
22. Lonzo Ball (2018-2019)
Lonzo wasn’t an efficient scorer with LeBron—and he really hasn’t been that anywhere—but his flashes of high-value playmaking and sound defense made their half-season run somewhat tantalizing.
21. Ivica Zubac (2018-2019)
Zubac showed potential on a per-minute basis during his stint with the Lakers but that didn’t stop Magic Johnson from trading him to the Clippers for an expiring Mike Muscala. Today, Zubac is one of the 50 Best Players in the NBA.
20. Troy Brown, Jr. (2022-2023)
A totally fine role player who scored at league average efficiency and wasn’t a complete turnstile on defense.
19. Marcus Smart (2025-26)
Though no longer the perennial DPOY contender from his prime years in Boston, Smart is still an above-average defender for a Lakers team desperate for perimeter D.
18. Dorian Finney-Smith (2024-2025)
A veteran 3&D wing that was still fairly effective at … 3&D, which is more than you can say about a lot of folks in their 30s.
17. Javale McGee (2018-2020)
Javale McGee didn’t put up big numbers, but his bouncy athleticism made him a perfect lob threat for LeBron on their way to a 2020 NBA championship — even if his role diminished as the playoffs progressed.
16. Malik Monk (2021-2022)
During a short tenure with the Lakers, Malik Monk brought an efficient scoring burst to the table. The near 60 true shooting percentage made him nearly a net positive for a Lakers squad that ultimately missed the playoffs anyway.
15. Lonnie Walker (2022-2023)
A freak athlete who put up nearly 12 points per game at a solid efficiency.
14. Danny Green (2019-20)
Danny Green wasn’t in his prime with the Lakers, but his steady three-point shooting and reliable defense made him a solid contributor on the 2019-2020 championship squad.
13. Rui Hachimura (2022-23-Present)
Unspectacular as he is, Rui’s been a consistent low-volume, but efficient three-level scorer who can be solid on defense, too. He could rebound more, but as a role player he’s solid.
12. D'Angelo Russell (2022-2025)
Eighteen points and 6 assists a game on around 60 true shooting percentage is nice and made DLo a sort of poor man’s Kyrie Irving. But his lack of athletic burst meant he turned into a middle class during the playoffs.
11. Deandre Ayton (2025-Present)
Ayton dropped 20 and 14 on 10-for-13 shooting in his first game as LeBron’s rim-running big man and is shooting over 78 percent from the field during their five games together.
10. Dwight Howard (2019-20, 2021-22)
Dwight Howard has a chip and he earned it. Superman’s defense on Nikola Jokic in the 2020 Western Conference Finals was pivotal to the Lakers emerging from the bubble with their 17th championship.
9. Brandon Ingram (2018-19)
Brandon Ingram has the DNA of an instinctive scorer, but he didn’t come into his own until exiting LeBron’s shadow. Alongside the King, he was just another empty calorie volume scorer.
8. Dennis Schröder (2020-2021, 2022-2023)
Schröder’s speed and timely shotmaking made him an effective scorer during both Lakers stints.
7. Kyle Kuzma (2018-21)
Kyle Kuzma has been part of a productive, winning basketball culture literally one time in his basketball career—and that moment came as part of the Lakers' 2020 championship team.
6. Alex Caruso (2018-2021)
The Lakers don’t win in 2020 without Alex Caruso’s will to do all that boring defensive stuff. Too bad the Lakers didn’t realize it when it was time to pay the sparkplug.
5. Rajon Rondo (2018-2020, 2021)
Rondo was well past his prime when he made it to the Lakers. But basketball IQ ages nicely, and his heady decision making on both sides of the ball, as well as surprisingly timely scoring, was crucial in the Lakers 2020 championship run.
4. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (2018-2021)
KCP’s reliable shooting and stingy defense made him an integral part of the Lakers’ 2020 championship team. Traded to Washington in the Russell Westbrook deal, his absence left a huge void on the Lakers' roster.
3. Austin Reaves (2021-Current)
As a general rule, if you’re an elite shot-creator who can score efficiently with and without LeBron on the floor, you’re a perfect fit for his ball-dominant style of play. Reaves has been just that, averaging over 28 points per game this season, along with 6.6 assists and 5.7 rebounds. He’s no Kyrie or Dwyane Wade, but he’s played at all-star level for over a season now and is only getting better.
2. Anthony Davis (2019-2025)
AD already proved he can be the 1A or 1B on a championship team next to LeBron. Like the best duos, their games complimented each other: Davis played at DPOY levels and provided efficient scoring, allowing LeBron to dictate the offense. They were in full flight during the 2020 NBA Finals, combining for 55 points and 23 rebounds per game. LeBron was the Finals MVP, but plenty of folks believed the honor belonged to AD.
1. Luka Doncic (2025-Current)
While it’s still unclear whether Luka and LeBron can win a title together, Luka’s gifts as a scorer and playmaker make him an even more complete offensive weapon than the King himself. In fact, the argument can be made that Luka is the best player that LeBron has ever teamed with. That’s right. Better than Wade. Bosh. Kyrie and Kevin Love. And that also means better than AD.