Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is asking Los Angeles Lakers supporters—and NBA followers everywhere—to acknowledge what LeBron James accomplished during his eight seasons in purple and gold.
The franchise icon shared his thoughts on social media shortly after James, 41, confirmed he will continue his career with another team. In a June 30, 2026 post on X (formerly Twitter), Abdul-Jabbar wrote, “LeBron was a winner on and off the court, and Laker fans should appreciate his performance for the last 8 years. If LeBron goes home to Cleveland, it won’t matter if they win the World Championship or not because his hometown fans will get their opportunity to say [good-bye].”
James joined the Lakers in 2018 and led the club to the 2020 NBA championship, ending the organization’s longest period without a title. During his tenure he also passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer and, this past season, set a new mark for most combined regular-season and playoff wins.
Where James will play in his 24th NBA season has not been finalized, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are widely viewed as a strong candidate. A return to his hometown team would reunite him with the franchise he guided to its lone title in 2016.
Lakers sources recently confirmed that the club and James never held a formal free-agency meeting, though details explaining that decision have surfaced in the past week.
Whenever James retires, the Lakers intend to add his jersey to the Crypto.com Arena rafters alongside Abdul-Jabbar’s, cementing both players’ legacies with the franchise.
Source: Lakers Nation
