The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, gaining momentum as the regular season reaches its final weeks. LeBron James has been a significant part of the Lakers’ surge, as he looks to finish potentially his last season in Los Angeles with another championship.
There continues to be speculation about James’ future, and a prominent NBA media member revealed what that could mean for the organization.
Why Richard Jefferson Believes the Lakers Could Struggle Without LeBron James
Former NBA player Richard Jefferson recently explained why he believes James’ exit will have a negative impact on the Lakers’ championship goals.
Discussing the situation on the “Road Trippin Show,” Jefferson said, “You not gone miss a dude that brought you a championship, kept the Lakers scoring record, took you to a conference final, like I’m sorry, there was a gap between Magic and Shaq and Kobe.”
He added more all-time greats to this comparison list:
“There was a gap between Shaq and Kobe and Kobe and Pau. There was a gap between Kobe and Pau and Bron and AD. When Bron leaves, there’s gone be a gap between, it’s already, it was 2020, we in 2026 now. There’s going to be another championship gap.”
Jefferson supported his argument with the current situation, saying, “Even if Bron moves on, and you got Luka, and you got Austin, and there’s like two or three years, that’s still a ten-year gap for Lakers fans. That’s where I talk about they’re going to miss him.”
Richard Jefferson on Lakers fans saying they won’t miss LeBron James when he leaves:
“I’m here in LA, we got a lot of loyal deep Lakers fans, I was born in LA, I grew up a Lakers fan so I know it. But, it’s always those Kobe slash Lakers fans that are like we not going to miss… https://t.co/SnZ0JPsLkb pic.twitter.com/KmpgCD1Tcp
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 19, 2026
Some fans will immediately write off Jefferson’s thoughts, considering he has a good relationship with James and the two men won an NBA championship together in 2016.
While Jefferson praises James’ impact, he does appear to take a shot at Luka Dončić by suggesting the Lakers will take a step back in the short term once James exits while rebuilding the team around Dončić.
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That’s probably not what the organization envisions happening, considering Dončić has already shown he can be the best player on an NBA Finals-level team, having reached the championship round in 2024 while playing with Dallas.
Jefferson alluded to the struggles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant faced in the years between playing with Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol. Bryant did not win a playoff series during that stretch and nearly left the organization.
While the Lakers could take a step back in a stacked Western Conference, Dončić suffering multiple first-round playoff exits similar to Bryant in the prime of his career would be unexpected.
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There’s more pressure on Austin Reaves, who is expected to sign a large contract this summer that solidifies his standing as a star. Reaves’ playoff performances will determine if Jefferson ends up being right.
The Lakers are currently on a seven-game winning streak, and if James were able to win a championship this year, then maybe some Lakers fans would embrace him as he’d join the multiple rings club with Bryant, O’Neal, Gasol, and Magic Johnson.
However, if that doesn’t happen, Jefferson appears to believe that some Lakers fans will ultimately regret not giving James the proper send-off he deserves.
