After LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this past off-season, many fans of the storied franchise had mixed emotions.

A lot were excited that James immediately put the team in playoff contention; but a number also felt threatened and that cheering for him would mean being disloyal to Kobe Bryant, arguably the greatest and beloved Laker of all-time. These are two players constantly in the conversation for GOAT and although they’ve never met in an NBA Finals, have had quite a rivalry these past few years.

While this acceptance may have been quite rocky, many have slowly started to warm up to the idea, thanks to current members of the Laker brass making The King feel at home.

Players like Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart have expressed their excitement to play with the four-time MVP, while Laker President Jeanie Buss has publicly reassured everyone that James dawning the purple and gold will not tarnish Kobe’s legacy.

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Even The Mamba himself has given his own seal of approval and while on The Rich Eisen Show, predicted that this fan base will eventually learn to root for LeBron James:

“But listen, if you are fan of mine, you are a fan of winning, you are a fan of the Lakers. I bleed purple and gold. So that is above anything else. I have been a Lakers fan since I was yay high. That is never going to change. Right? [It] is about winning championships. So they'll fall in line.”

Kobe Bryant makes a good point in that winning solves almost any problem in basketball. As soon as the team finds success with LeBron James leading them, it may cause the majority of Laker fans to have a change of heart.

After all, if Bryant can get behind this move, why shouldn’t Laker Nation?