“Put him behind Magic, Kobe, Kareem & Shaq” – Shannon Sharpe asserts LeBron James is ‘top 5 Lakers’

LeBron James is currently gearing up for another championship run ahead of the LA Lakers' Western Conference Finals matchup with the Denver Nuggets. With James in pursuit of his fifth NBA title, there has been a lot of talk regarding what another championship could do for his 'GOAT' campaign.

Ahead of Game 1 tipping off on Tuesday evening, Shannon Sharpe believes that a fifth title would also see LeBron James go into the top Lakers of all time. Although James is without question one of, if not the greatest, players of all time, there are players who have worn purple and gold for decades.

As a result, while LeBron James may be one of the best to ever do it, his place among LA Lakers' legends has been highly disputed. On a recent episode of Undisputed, Sharpe explained why he would still have Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal ahead of him.

"Kareem played 14 seasons with the Lakers, he has five titles, a finals MVP and three regular-season MVPs. Kobe, 20 seasons, five titles, two finals MVPs, one regular season MVP. Magic, 13 seasons, all with the Lakers Skip, five titles, three finals MVPs, three regular MVPs. So I don't believe Bron can pass those guys.

"Shaq played eight seasons, three titles, three finals MVPs, and a regular season MVP. .. So for me, I think you would have to say if he wins another title, Skip, I would say you'd have to say he's a top-five Laker at that point. ... He becomes a top five Laker in my estimation."

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors - Game Two

LeBron James' quest for another title means a Bubble rematch with the Nuggets

If LeBron James wants to capture his fifth title (his second for the LA Lakers), he must get through the Denver Nuggets first. The Western Conference Finals showdown will serve as the highly anticipated rematch of the famed Bubble season.

Despite the fact that the two teams have squared off against one another previously, LeBron James admitted that the Nuggets are better than they were back then. Speaking to media members earlier this week, James weighed in on the Western Conference Finals matchup, as quoted by DenverPost:

Los Angeles Lakers Media Day

“They’re better [than they were], but they were great then. And they’re great now. Joker has got two more years under his belt. Jamal [Murray] has gotten back to his regular form after the injury. And the rest of those guys are playing exceptional basketball. ... They’re a really, really, really, really good team.”

As head coach Darvin Ham surmised, the Nuggets are an incredibly physical and efficient team. With a dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the team has found success thanks to key roleplayers like Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon as well.

With things set to kick off on Tuesday night, only time will tell how things play out.

(Suggested Reading: LeBron James status for Game 1)