Although it might seem like an afterthought now, there was a time when Los Angeles Lakers fans appeared unwilling to embrace LeBron James.
When James decided to sign with the Lakers in the summer of 2018, some fans declared James would never be able to fill Kobe Bryant's shoes as a franchise icon. A few bad eggs even vandalized a mural of James painted by artist Gustavo Zermeno.
But as James prepares to pass Bryant on the all-time scoring list, Kobe took the time and suggested for Laker fans to praise James for his commitment to the franchise (via Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times):
“When LeBron came to Los Angeles, he is now a Laker, he is part of our brotherhood, part of our fraternity, and we should embrace him that way,” Kobe Bryant said.
And, by the way, he acknowledged the dude is doing something pretty amazing, and urged everyone to give props.
“You got to celebrate … appreciate what he is as an athlete while he is here” he added. “Appreciate this guy, celebrate what he’s done, because it’s truly remarkable.”
LeBron James was actually having a fine debut season with the Lakers last year, but injuries and the strange mid-season rumors surrounding a potential Anthony Davis trade put a damper on the campaign.
However, things have been drastically different now that Davis is actually in the fold. LeBron is having one of the finer offensive seasons of his career, averaging 25.5 points and an NBA-best 10.9 assists per game while leading the Lakers to a 34-8 record — the best mark in the Western Conference.
Kobe will forever have the adoration of L.A. fans, but there is a good chance James can forever ingratiate himself in Hollywood if he is able to deliver a title to the Lakers.
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