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Apr 24, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks up during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
LeBron James announced on Tuesday that he will not return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. His decision has reignited debate over the success of his lengthy stint in Los Angeles, with former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho siding with James’ critics for one key reason.
Emmanuel Acho Sounds Off on LeBron James’ Lakers Tenure After Exit
James joined the Lakers in 2018, and his departure marks the end of an eight-year run with the franchise.
According to his agent, Rich Paul, James notified the organization of his decision “as a courtesy” so the front office could adequately prepare for the opening of free agency.
As the Lakers begin looking for a replacement, Acho shared his perspective on James’ legacy in Los Angeles, saying it failed to meet the standard he set with his previous teams.
“LeBron’s tenure in LA was obviously a success; he won a championship,” Acho said. “But it was not a massive success. The reason it wasn’t a massive success is everywhere LeBron James has been, he has gone to multiple championships.”
“In Cleveland, he went to multiple championships. I believe in total, he went to four. In Miami, he went to multiple championships. Then you come to LA, LeBron, and you go to one?”
Acho’s comments come despite the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA title and reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2023.
However, it is important to note that the franchise also missed the playoffs entirely in 2019 and 2022, and suffered consecutive first-round exits in 2024 and 2025 before a second-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season.
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For comparison, James reached four NBA Finals during his four-year stint with the Miami Heat (2010-14) and another four with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-18. It seemed like Finals’ appearances were nothing compared to when he is on the squad.
However, he made only championship appearances with the Lakers throughout his eight-year tenure, which triggered Acho’s remark.
“Obviously, it was a success,” Acho said. “He won a championship. That is undeniable. But if you’re a Lakers fan, if you’re in Lakers management, when you hear you’re getting LeBron James, the Lakers got LeBron James on the heels of eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances.”
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“I wanted that LeBron. I wanted the LeBron that was guaranteed to punch his ticket every single year… What I’m not going to do is try to act like what LeBron did in LA reached the expectations of what we thought LeBron James was going to do in LA.”
Though the Lakers experienced inconsistent postseason success, James continued to perform at an elite level well into his 40s.
Even in his final regular season in LA, he still averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. He concluded his chapter with the Lakers, averaging 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists over 479 games.
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