The Earvin Edit

LeBron James has now been a Los Angeles Laker for seven years. However, not every season has been successful. Has his time with the purple and gold met the high expectations?

Written by Earvin Adjei

Over the weekend, LeBron James exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025–26 NBA season. Shortly after, Klutch Sports CEO and LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN’s Shams Charania, “We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.” The quote has sparked speculation that James might be considering a change of scenery for his 23rd season — and has led many to reflect on his time in Los Angeles. LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018 following the worst five-year stretch in franchise history, and he helped restore relevance to a once-floundering team. But even with the highs, can LeBron’s time in the purple and gold truly be called a success?

Year 1

Record: 37-45 (10th in Western Conference)

Playoff Finish: Missed Playoffs

LeBron’s first year as a Laker was defined by two things: a groin injury that forced him to miss 17 consecutive games, and the team’s failed midseason pursuit of then Pelicans star Anthony Davis. Before the injury, the Lakers were 20–14 and sitting as the fourth seed in the West. That all changed on Christmas Day against the Warriors, when LeBron went down. During his absence, the Lakers posted a disappointing 6–11 record and slid to ninth in the standings, just outside the playoff picture. To make matters worse, the names of several Lakers’ young stars including Brandon Ingram were publicly floated in trade talks for Davis, leading to awkwardness in the locker room and mounting tension with then-President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson. Year one was a turbulent start, marked by injury and instability — a far cry from the championship aspirations that came with LeBron’s arrival.

Year 2

Record: 52-19 (1st in Western Conference)

Playoff Finish: Won NBA Finals

The peak of LeBron’s Lakers tenure came during the 2019–20 season. That offseason, the Lakers made a blockbuster trade to acquire All-Star forward Anthony Davis, giving LeBron the co-star he had lacked in Year One. Following the Davis deal, General Manager Rob Pelinka filled out the roster with veteran depth, including Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jared Dudley. Former Pacers head coach and defensive specialist Frank Vogel was also hired to lead the squad. The revamped Lakers started hot, jumping out to a 24–3 record and seizing control of the Western Conference. They carried that momentum until March, when the NBA season was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World, L.A. picked up right where it left off — cruising through the playoffs with gentleman’s sweep wins over Portland, Houston, and Denver before defeating the Miami Heat in six games to capture the franchise’s 17th NBA championship. The 2020 Finals marked L.A.’s first appearance and victory in a decade and stood as an undeniable accomplishment for both James and the Lakers.

Year 3

Record: 42-30 (7th in Western Conference)

Playoff Finish: Lost in the First Round

The 2020 offseason was marked by significant additions to the Lakers’ roster. Fresh off their 2020 NBA Championship, L.A. bolstered their roster by acquiring notable names such as 2020 Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schröder, and Marc Gasol. Entering the 2020–21 season, the Lakers appeared poised to defend their title. LeBron James, an MVP candidate at 36, was posting impressive averages—25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists—and the team was off to a promising start, sitting at the third seed with a 24–13 record. However, on March 20, a pivotal moment occurred when Solomon Hill collided with LeBron, injuring his ankle and sidelining him for 26 of the team’s remaining 30 games. Without LeBron, the Lakers’ performance dipped below .500, and they eventually slipped to the seventh seed. To make matters worse, Anthony Davis struggled with injuries—first a calf strain followed by Achilles tendinosis—which kept him off the court for several weeks. The Lakers entered a first-round playoff matchup against the second-seeded Phoenix Suns with diminished momentum. Although L.A. initially took a 2–1 series lead, another setback hit when Davis suffered a left groin strain in Game 4. His subsequent absence in Game 5 and limited performance in Game 6 contributed to the Lakers’ loss and early playoff exit. Ultimately, the failed title repeat can largely be attributed to a barrage of injuries at the worst possible times.

Year 4

Record: 33-49 (11th in Western Conference)

Playoff Finish: Missed Playoffs

After a disappointing 2021 season and a failed title defense, the Lakers looked to rebound by making a blockbuster move. In the summer of 2021, they traded for Wizards star point guard Russell Westbrook, who was coming off a season in which he averaged a triple-double with over 22 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds per game. To acquire Westbrook, the Lakers dismantled much of their supporting cast, sending Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and a first-round pick to Washington. To round out the roster, they signed several aging veterans past their primes, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza. From the start, many questioned the fit and those doubts were quickly validated. The Lakers never found chemistry, finishing with a dismal 33–49 record and missing the playoffs entirely. In the aftermath, head coach Frank Vogel, who had led the team to a championship just two years prior, was fired. This season stands out not just as a low point in LeBron’s Lakers tenure, but as one of the biggest disappointments of his entire career.

Year 5

Record: 43-39 (7th in Westeren Conference)

Playoff Finish: Lost in the Western Conference Finals

LeBron’s fifth year as a Laker was nothing short of a roller coaster. The team made a surprising move by hiring Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as head coach, and the season got off to a disastrous 2–10 start. Tension rose when Russell Westbrook was moved to a bench role, creating friction in the locker room and straining his relationship with the rookie head coach. The turning point came on February 9, when the Lakers dealt Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team, eight-player trade. In return, they acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Timberwolves, along with Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. The revamped roster found immediate success — L.A. finished the regular season 18–9 after the trade and squeaked into the playoffs as the seventh seed. Riding that momentum, the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the semifinals. Although they were ultimately swept by the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, every game was competitive, and making it that far was a remarkable feat considering how the season began.

Year 6

Record: 47-35 (8th in Western Conference)

Playoff Finish: Lost in the First Round

Heading into 2024, LeBron and the Lakers aimed to build on the momentum of their 2022–23 Conference Finals run. With a full season of continuity, expectations were high that the team would earn a better record and playoff position. However, those hopes fell short. L.A. finished just four wins better than the previous year and landed the seventh seed for the second straight season. Throughout the year, head coach Darvin Ham faced mounting criticism for questionable lineup decisions, poor in-game adjustments, and a perceived lack of structure. Reports surfaced of declining player confidence, including from Anthony Davis, who felt the team struggled to maintain leads or make tactical changes. These flaws were on full display in the first round against the Denver Nuggets, where the Lakers blew a 20-point lead in Game 2 and went on to lose the series 4–1. After the game, Davis publicly admitted, “Sometimes we didn’t know what we were doing on both ends of the floor.” Ham was fired following the postseason, ending yet another frustrating and inconsistent season in Los Angeles.

Year 7

Record: 50-32 (3rd in Western Conference)

Playoff Finish: Lost in the First Round

The most recent chapter of LeBron James’ Lakers tenure may have been the most dramatic yet. The turbulence began in the offseason with a chaotic coaching search. After firing Darvin Ham, the Lakers briefly pursued two-time NCAA Champion Dan Hurley, offering him a deal that would have made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA — despite his lack of pro-level experience. Hurley ultimately declined, choosing to stay at UConn. With his rejection, the team pivoted to a more familiar face: JJ Redick, LeBron’s podcast co-host, who took the job despite having no prior coaching experience. The next wave of controversy came during the NBA Draft, when the Lakers selected LeBron’s son, Bronny James, with the 55th pick. The move drew immediate criticism from fans and analysts, who questioned whether the selection was based more on his last name than his performance at USC. Despite the noise, the Lakers got off to a strong start. At 28–19, they were fifth in the West and riding a five-game win streak — even without Anthony Davis. Their defense had improved significantly, and the offense was balanced. Then came a bombshell: on February 1, 2025, the Lakers acquired Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. It marked the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA players were traded for one another midseason. The move immediately raised expectations. L.A. surged to a 50-win season and finished third in the Western Conference. However, their playoff run ended prematurely with a disappointing first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though favored by many, the Lakers’ lack of size proved costly against a Timberwolves team built on size and elite defense.

Overall, LeBron’s tenure with the Lakers can be characterized with two things: bad injury luck and poor roster construction. To call his time with the team unsuccessful would be disingenuous, considering they won a championship in 2020. But even then, it would be fair to say his time in L.A. has been underwhelming. Three different head coaches, locker room rifts, injury issues, and multiple first-round exits were not on many people’s bingo cards when the future Hall of Famer signed with the team in the summer of 2018.