Former Laker Disses LA Teammates in Hailing Different MVP As Best Scoring Colleague

An ex-L.A. champion believes the best scorer he’s ever played with wasn't a Laker at all.

Dec 2, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Trevor Ariza (3) puts up a shot between Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee (7) during the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports | Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward and champion Trevor Ariza has seemed to diss two of his former Lakers great teammates, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. In a recent appearance on Theo Pinson's podcast "Run Your Race" Ariza admitted that James Harden was the best scorer he's ever played alongside. 

"James [Harden] for sure," Ariza said. "He figured out how to score the basketball."

Bryant and James, two of the greatest to ever play the game, have reached heights that most can only dream of, particularly in the scoring department. While Harden had his share of dominance with the Houston Rockets, Bryant and James are in a league of their own, at least in terms of their overall impact on the game and their consistencies in that department. 

James is the No. 1 scorer in the history of the NBA, while Bryant is No. 4. Ariza played alongside both, with Bryant notably one-plus season from 2008-09, playing a pivotal role in that 2009 title run. Ariza played alongside James in the purple and gold in the 2021-22 season, which happened to be his final season in the NBA thus far. 

Nonetheless, Ariza is entitled to his opinion, and Harden is worthy of being on the list as one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen. There's no right or wrong, but leaving out James or Bryant regarding that category is quite a surprise. We'll give Ariza the benefit of the doubt and say he forgot he was teammates with those two all-time greats. 

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