LeBron James’ time with the Lakers has unfolded like a timeline, where each phase reveals a different chapter: his arrival, injuries, the pivotal Anthony Davis trade, the championship in the bubble, the sorrow of Kobe Bryant’s passing, breaking the scoring record, winning the NBA Cup, the moment with his son Bronny, and finally, the trade for Luka Doncic, which seems to hint at the end of an era.
2018: Arrival in Los Angeles
In 2018, James opted out of his deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and came to Los Angeles, signing a hefty four-year contract worth $153.5 million. He joined a Lakers team that was in a rough patch, having missed the playoffs for five years and still in the process of rebuilding.
2018-19: Missed playoffs due to injury
The Lakers started slowly, and James’ debut season in LA was hampered by a groin injury he sustained on Christmas. Missing 17 games, the Lakers fell out of contention, marking the first time since 2005 that James would sit out the playoffs.
2019: Anthony Davis trade changes everything
Everything shifted when the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis, providing James with a superstar teammate. The team quickly became favorites for the championship, boasting a stellar 17-2 record at the start of the 2019-20 season.
January 2020: Kobe Bryant, grief and responsibility
On January 25, 2020, James surpassed Kobe Bryant for third place on the NBA’s scoring list. Just one day later, Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash. At the Lakers’ next home game, James gave an emotional tribute while wearing Bryant’s No. 24 jersey.
2020: Bubble Championship
The league returned in a bubble in Orlando after Covid-19 halted the season. James and Davis powered the Lakers through to the Finals, where they faced the Miami Heat. James capped off Game 6 with a triple-double, earning the franchise its 17th title and securing his fourth Finals MVP award—remarkably, the first to do so with three different teams.
2020-22: Records, injuries, uneven team construction
The following two seasons were marked by personal achievements but also team struggles. In 2020-21, James became the first player to score in double digits across 1,000 games and reached 35,000 career points. Yet, an ankle injury sidelined him for 20 games, leading to a playoff exit in the first round. The next season saw him make history again, becoming the only player with over 10,000 points, rebounds, and assists, and posting a memorable 56-point game, though the Lakers still missed playoffs.
2023: Scoring record and another playoff berth
On February 7, 2023, he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing scoring record with a fadeaway jumper against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That season marked the Lakers’ return to playoff form, where he delivered standout performances, including 22 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists in an overtime victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. They advanced past the Warriors to reach the Western Conference Finals.
2023-24: NBA Cup and 40,000 points
James led the Lakers to victory in the NBA in-season tournament, later named the NBA Cup, earning MVP honors. During the season, he became the first player to reach 40,000 career points.
2024: Bronny James moment
The Lakers drafted Bronny James with the 55th pick in 2024. On October 22, 2024, LeBron and Bronny made history as the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together, fulfilling a dream LeBron had often mentioned. For the Lakers, it was yet another landmark moment in a remarkable era.
2025-26: Final record and Luka Doncic’s axis
In this season, James etched his name further into history as the first player to compete for 23 seasons, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar for the most career field goals and Robert Parish for the most games played, while reaching 12,000 career assists. Yet, perhaps the most telling moment was the Lakers’ surprising trade for Luka Doncic, sending Anthony Davis to Dallas in a three-team deal. This trade symbolized a shift towards a future without James at the helm.
Looking back, that transaction can be seen as marking the end of James’ era with the Lakers, as the franchise turned its focus from him to Doncic as the new cornerstone.
2026: End of the Lakers era
Now, after eight seasons in Los Angeles, marked by one championship, one Finals MVP, an NBA Cup, a scoring record, and the unique milestone of a father-son game, James will depart. He arrived in LA to craft a defining chapter in his career, and instead, he created an extraordinary, often debated, narrative in Lakers history.
