Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James had several iconic moments during his six seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the future Hall of Famer wasn’t always sure Los Angeles fans would accept him when he initially signed with the team.
According to ESPN Bobby Marks and Dave McMenaminJames “privately wondered if Laker Nation would ever fully accept him” due to his past clashes with Kobe Bryant earlier in his career.
When James decided to join the Lakers in the summer of 2018, several stories arose. writing about how Bryant’s fans weren’t ready to welcome him to the Lakers.
Bryant even addressed the situation in August 2018 during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t Anthony Irwin by Silver Screen and Roll):
“…If you’re a fan of mine, then you’re a fan of winning; you’re a fan of the Lakers. I bleed purple and gold, so that’s first and foremost. I’ve been a Lakers fan.” Ever since I got high. That will never change, will it. And it’s about winning championships, so they (those fans) will line up. “
There was never a real rivalry between James and Bryant because they never faced each other in the NBA Finals. Nike did its best to manufacturing a rivalry in 2009 by creating a series of commercials featuring the two superstars as puppets.
Things didn’t work out because James and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bryant led the Lakers to the championship with a victory over the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.
James was able to carve out his own legacy in Los Angeles. He led the franchise to a championship during the 2019-20 season. He surpassed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on February 7, 2023.
On Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets, James became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points in his career.
