LeBron James arrived in Los Angeles in 2018 and won the franchise’s 17th NBA championship in 2020. It was their first since 2010, and the 22x All-Star even broke multiple historic records in the Purple and Gold uniform. Yet despite everything he accomplished, a growing number of NBA insiders over the past few weeks believe Bron was never truly embraced by the front office or the fans the way previous franchise icons were.

“I don’t feel like LeBron is beloved in LA,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on the latest episode of Chiney Today that LeBron restored the franchise to relevance but was never truly beloved in LA. “I don’t even think he’s really appreciated. I do radio in LA all the time and you wouldn’t believe the callers we get. Game where he passed Kareem. It was a nice moment, but it was not the kind of moment that Kobe had.

“It was not like people clapped, people got their phones out, but it wasn’t like a real love. You know, LeBron James came here late in his career. People appreciated him to some extent, but I don’t think they really did.”

Shelburne even compared LeBron James’ relationship with Lakers fans to watching “somebody else’s national team” during the World Cup. The love and admiration were there, but the emotional attachment never fully developed because, as she put it, “it’s not their own.”

Shelburne pointed even when LeBron surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, there seemingly was a disconnect.

Her comments echoed the sentiment that many Lakers observers have quietly suggested for years. The fanbase respected the 4x NBA champion but never embraced him as wholeheartedly as franchise legends like Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson.

Even Stephen A. Smith previously stated that the issue extended beyond the fanbase and into the organization itself.

“Have the Los Angeles Lakers taken LeBron James for granted? Sure, you can make that argument,” Smith said on First Take. “They don’t particularly like him. That’s what this is about more than anything else. They’ll never admit that.”

Another sign of discontent that even LeBron James felt was reported after his 1,229th win of the career. It moved him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined regular-season and playoff victories in NBA history, but it was cut short. “Still, James’ celebratory mood didn’t last long,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported.

Reportedly, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka presented the game ball to head coach JJ Redick to celebrate his 100th coaching win.

While Redick’s achievement was certainly noteworthy, McMenamin reported that James saw “Pelinka’s priority in that moment as yet another example of the Lakers taking him for granted, sources said.”

Now, the Lakers’ history is filled with homegrown icons like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Jerry West, who built their entire identities in Los Angeles.

But LeBron had already established himself as a legend with Cleveland and Miami. That’s why Shelburne, Smith, and McMenamin pointed out that the emotional attachment was never truly formed.