Greatest Los Angeles Laker of All-Time

1.

Magic Johnson

By: beej     3 votes

Few players in the history of any sport have been more adept at making their teammates better than Magic Johnson. His incredible creativity, athleticism, and vision on the court were truly a marvel to behold as he routinely "Went Globetrotter" on his opponents, setting up his teammates with circus-style plays. He was the key component in the Lakers offense during their dynastic years in the 1980s, leading the NBA in assists 5 times during that span. He had 24 assists in a single game on 3 separate occasions, including once in a playoff game (an NBA record). He won 3 MVP awards and 5 NBA Championships, and added over 17,000 points and 10,000 assists during his career, numbers that would have been much higher had the discovery he was HIV positive not forced him into early retirement. (Associated Content)

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2.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

By: beej     3 votes

This towering, lanky center is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, and a huge reason the Lakers won 5 NBA Championships in the 1980s. Teamed with Magic Johnson, Kareem was nearly undefendable, pouring in huge points with his signature skyhook shot. He had an immediate impact when he arrived in Los Angeles in the 1975-76 season, leading the team in scoring that year, and for the 10 seasons following as well. He wasn't just a scorer though. He ranks 2nd in NBA history in blocked shots, and 4th all time in rebounds, and his 6 NBA MVP awards are the most in league history. (Associated Content)

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3.

Jerry West

By: beej     2 votes

When the Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960, West was their first ever draft pick, taken 2nd overall that year. West is the L.A. Lakers' all time leading scorer with 25,192 career points. His incredible 27.0 points-per-game career scoring average is 4th best in NBA history, and he was even more clutch in the playoffs with a 29.1 career ppg average, second all time behind some guy named Michael Jordan. He made the All-star game in all 14 of the seasons he played, won an NBA championship, and has an NBA Finals MVP award on his resume as well. (Associated Content)

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4.

Kobe Bryant

By: beej     2 votes

Kobe already has 3 NBA championships on his resume, and now that he finally has some help again, it is looking good for Kobe to add a few more to that list. In 2007, Kobe became the youngest player to reach the 20,000 point plateau, and once scored 81 points in a single game, the 2nd highest total in NBA history. Yes, only 29 years old, and already one of the greatest L.A. Lakers ever. (Associated Content)

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5.

Shaquille O'Neal

By: beej     3 votes

Shaq made no secret of the fact that he wanted to be remembered as the most dominant big man in the history of the NBA. His arrival, coinciding with the addition of Kobe Bryant, in the 1996-1997 turned the L.A. Lakers into a championship contender overnight. Shaq and his Laker teammates would enjoy great regular season success for the next few years -- achieved the rare Three-peat, winning back-to-back-to-back championships between 2000 & 2002. O'Neal finished his time in L.A. as one of the leading scorers in franchise history, amassing almost 14,000 points, very few of them from free throws, in his 8 seasons with the club. (Associated Content)

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