"Pau is definitely a greater Laker than LeBron", "He'd be a Kings all-timer if he played 50 games for them"- Fans react to Richard Jefferson's recent comments on LeBron James not being a Lakers great

Richard Jefferson's comments on LeBron James' stature for the LA Lakers sparked a conversation about whether LeBron is to be considered a Laker great or not.

James has been with the Lakers since 2018, and will enter the final year of his two-year extension in 2022-23. His tenure in LA has been volatile, with the team seeing the highest of highs in 2020 with an NBA championship and the lowest of lows in 2022 with an 11th-spot finish.

The 2021-22 season was a significant letdown for the front office, with franchise president Jeanie Buss coming out after the season lamenting the dismal performance and saying that the luxury tax was too high a price to pay for an 11th-spot finish.

According to FiveThirtyEight's ELO, this was the worst team LeBron James has been on when season-ending ELO ratings are compared.

James' former teammate in Cleveland, Richard Jefferson, spoke about his time with the Lakers on his podcast, "Road Trippin'," stating:

"LeBron James has not done enough as a Laker to be on that list. Bron been there now – this is fourth season, right? They've been in there four seasons. Two years, they haven't made the postseason; one year, they lost in the first round; and one year, they won a championship.

"There hasn't been a consistent level of greatness. Part of the Laker organization is consistent greatness. Not, like, oh, one year you're trash; next year, you're great."

While Jefferson's opinion was divisive, redditors over at r/NBA were largely in agreement with it.

As he enters the final year of his current contract, James is up for an extension, and all signs point to him being with the Lakers for a few more years.

Can LeBron James and co. make a comeback?

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

With the offseason now over for most teams, the Lakers are more or less in the same position they were last year, the only difference being that the average age for their roster is lower.

The Lakers have not made any drastic moves in free agency, and are supposedly relying on coaching changes and Anthony Davis' return to have a significant impact on their title run.

Russell Westbrook's struggles with the Lakers have put a question mark on his role at the team, and whether or not he will be on the roster at the start of the season is yet to be known.

Unless Davis performs at an All-NBA level, the Lakers might just suffer a similar fate in 2023 as well.