For O’Shea Jackson Jr., his heart just went to Philadelphia but his loyalty will remain in Southern California. He was counting on a miracle where LeBron James returns to the Lakers. But after his favorite player joined the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers superfan delivered a memorable, unbothered, witty reaction.

Unable to call in live because he was on a plane flying from Detroit, Jackson Jr. relayed his official statement through Gregory Arthur Bergman, who read it out loud on ESPN LA. Reading Jackson Jr.’s written message directly on the air, Bergman shared the actor’s concise text message response to James’ free-agency decision:

“He can be a 76 all he wants, we have 77.”

Looks like, just like the Lakers, O’Shea has effectively moved from the LeBron era of the Lakers and is fully invested in #77 that is Luka Doncic.

When he was on the ground, Jackson Jr. later took to his official Twitter account to double down, posting “77>76” over a Doncic graphic too.

Yet he can’t forgo his love for King James. Through a few throwbacks of Bron’s time in Purple & Gold, he saluting James’ decorated eight-year tenure in Los Angeles, writing, “Ima miss you bruh. Ima miss the memes as well. But now it’s up. You understand.”

But his 77 over 76 remark did kickstart a debate in his comments and the celebrity Lakers fan clapped back at a few trolls for putting Luka over Bron.

He made it very clear to them that while he is a fan of James, he will forever be loyal to the Lakers.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. & Lakers faithful rally around Luka Doncic after LeBron James’ move

When LeBron James announced his decision to leave the Lakers, Jackson had posted, “They gon be so mad at you when this was all a trick and you come back. But it will be your greatest heist of your career.”

A clear sign he was hoping that even in unrestricted free agency, James would return to LA.

When Richard Jefferson claimed LA will be better off without James, Jackson fired back, “WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?! AN INTERESTING 5 YEARS!?! What could that be!?! Not making the playoffs!? A first round exit ?! A second round exit!?! Not making the finals!? THATS ALL HAPPENED THE LAST 5 YEARS. SO WHAT IN THE F–K WOULD BE SO INTERESTING!?!”

He didn’t have much to say on all the rumors surrounding Bron and the big moves the Lakers had made. Rob Pelinka went on an aggressive rebuild, signing Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams and more while also retaining Austin Reaves and Bronny James.

Now that LeBron has finally made his decision, Jackson is also throwing his lot in entirely with the new look Lakers under Luka Doncic.

He’s been a huge defender of Doncic since the blockbuster 2025 trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas in exchange for Luka. He slammed criticism on his weight and conditioning, and when Doncic was not considered an MVP candidate, he hit back:

“The man completely changed his body and lifestyle. Playing while his family is tearing apart. Putting up numbers we ain’t seen since Kobe and Mike. Over 100 steals Climbed us into 3rd place. The story is amazing. But alas the goal post is not the same for a Laker. 2020 mvp and dpoy are still the most bulls— blatant robberies in my eyes.”

For Jackson Jr., a lifelong die-hard supporter known for his passionate media appearances on ESPN LA’s Mason & Ireland and The Rich Eisen Show, LeBron choosing Philadelphia is not viewed as a devastating setback, but rather as the natural, official beginning of the Doncic era in Southern California.

While James departs for the Eastern Conference to form a loaded contender alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, the Lakers remain in a premier position with Doncic firmly locked in as the team’s anchor.

The Slovenian phenom has fully embraced his role as the absolute face of the storied franchise, providing Los Angeles with a perennial MVP candidate entering the absolute prime of his career.

Jackson got a bit defensive when he responded to fans questioning if his loyalties are split, writing, “Bunny hopper?! I was a laker before LeBron and ima Laker after bron. wtf are you talkin about.”

But when someone declared the 76ers as the 2027 NBA champions, already, he had a firm, “Nah.”

For dedicated super fans like Jackson Jr., the end of James’ tenure is met with genuine appreciation rather than frustration. But with the suspense over LeBron over, he’s now fully prepared to let Luka Doncic lead the way.