Top 10 Best Los Angeles Lakers Players of All Time
When you think of the Los Angeles Lakers, greatness comes to mind. Legendary players who brought that electrifying energy to the court, iconic purple and gold jerseys, and a whole lot of championship banners hanging in the rafters. The Lakers franchise has built an incredible legacy with some of the best basketball players to ever step on hardwood.But who are the absolute best of the best? Who made the biggest impact? Who delivered those moments that still give you goosebumps when you see old highlights? It's hard to narrow it down, right? There have been so many incredible players to don those iconic jerseys.
Kobe Bean Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star, has 5 NBA Championship rings and a 5-2 record in the NBA Finals. He is the 2008 NBA MVP winner and a 4-time NBA All-Star MVP winner in 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011. Also, he is the 1997 Slam Dunk Competition winner and the Lakers' all-time lead scorer with 33,643 points, boasting a career average of 25 points per game. There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant is an undisputed all-time Top 5 L.A. Laker. Anyone who would dare say otherwise is a delusional toxic LeBron fan.
Kobe is the most talented Laker ever by far. When I think of the greatest Laker, the first thing that comes to mind is the skill set. Kobe has the greatest footwork in NBA history, his post play and fadeaways are unmatched at the SG position since Jordan. Even in his mid-thirties, with arthritis, Kobe constantly evolves his game and remains a top scorer in the league. Most players dwindle after they lose their freakish athleticism, but not Kobe. In fact, I doubt anyone can name a player that remained top 5 in scoring by their mid-30s. Factor in Kobe's playoff games, and you'll see he has more miles on him than any player right now but still remains on top based on pure skill.
Outside of being the All-Star game MVP despite having HIV. Outside of his miracle shots. Having a triple-double at halftime. Outside of getting those rebounds. Outside of making no-look passes. Outside of being one of the 50 Greatest. Outside of winning championships. Outside of being at least one of the 20 greatest. He was the greatest ever. Look at his accomplishments and comparing that to Michael. The only one to have the Finals MVP as a rookie. Don't see it? I hope you are understanding me, really.
The all-time leader in Assists Per Game could also be the best NBA player of all time because of his ability to score, pass, and rebound. So, yes, he is one of the greatest all-around NBA players ever. I'd like to see how Kobe Bryant would go up against Larry Bird, Michael Jordan in his prime, Julius Erving, and Charles Barkley. That's why Kobe isn't top three.
Magic and Bird were the NBA. Without these two, the NBA might not have made it. Kobe may be the second coming of Michael Jordan, but Magic made the Lakers of the '80s awesome. A classy guy who made the rest of the NBA want to beat him! Being a Boston/Bird fan, there was nothing like a Bird/Magic matchup on Sunday with Dick Stockton calling the game.
Kareem was consistently the top center in the league during an era where there were many great centers...for that matter, the best player. He was a dominant player until age 39 when Pat Riley changed the offense to be more Magic Johnson/James Worthy oriented (not complaining, as it was the reason for titles in 1987 and 1988). At age 42, he also poured in 26 points in game 3 of the Finals to keep the Lakers in the game. The greatest Laker, and greatest player (sorry MJ) ever.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not only the #1 Laker, but he is also the #1 NBA player of all times. He has 6 MVPs, 6 championships, 5 with LA, and more points than any other Laker or player in the NBA. He always stayed in great shape, with no real injuries that put him out for the season, unlike Kobe or Magic. The "sky hook" was the single most unstoppable weapon in sports history.
Throughout KAJ's career, not just with the Lakers, he racked up the most All-Star selections, All-NBA selections, points, regular season MVP awards, and double-digit years with LA. That can't be overlooked for two things that everybody wants in a guy: dominance, pure pure dominance. And that is Kareem for you. You never know what he pulls out of his pocket, whether it is a breakaway dunk or a crisp clean sky hook.
Some mention Kareem here. I mention Shaq here. Two, three, four, five feet into the paint, he is pretty unstoppable. He pretty much does everything a center should do: rebound, block shots, etc. His problem is his jumper and shooting free throws, but don't centers give you that? You already signed shooters in Horry, Kobe, Fox, and Fisher. Only some are shooting centers like Dirk and JJ Hickson. Shaq is not one of them.
Shaq is totally better than Kobe Bryant. Bryant just touches the ball and gets it in. He's only good at shooting. Well, SHAQ averages better than Kobe Bryant and he gets the most rebounds. Look at his body. He's 136kg and 216cm. Kobe doesn't have 2m.
Shaq is definitely the best player on the Lakers. Better than all of them.
Wilt Chamberlain set the books by scoring the most points scored in a single game (100), most rebounds in a game (55), and most consecutive field goals (18).
He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors,... read more
Rest in peace to him. He scored more 50-point games than MJ and he was more than a scorer. People thought he was a ball hog, and then he said he was going to lead the league in assists one year. He did. He was a shot blocker and he got rebounds for the teams he played for and was a part of that 33-game win streak. Once again, rest in peace.
Damn, he changed the game literally overnight. I dare you to Google this guy. He was a true freak. And the NBA was not ready for him yet. Shortly before his death, he had completed a 26-mile marathon while in his 50s. 100 points in a game of pro NBA players, I mean, damn, what more can I say?
Wilt suffered the worst knee injury of his career during his second Laker season, missed most of the rest of the year, and was never the same again offensively. However, upon return, super-muscular 315-pound Wilt was the strongest NBA player ever [yes stronger than Shaq], and that Wilt was still the best rebounder and shot blocker in NBA history. That older and wiser Wilt was part of the 33-game win streak. That Wilt was the Finals MVP with a broken wrist.
Sorry, but all I have to say is this: he won MVP for the finals on the losing team and brought his single All-Star team to 9 championships against an OP Celtics team. PERIOD. Other than his playing, what he did when he was a GM is one of the greatest moves of all-time. Bringing Shaq and Kobe for 3 rings and winning 1 of his own, he brought 25% of the Lakers' rings to LA. Just look at the NBA logo. GREATEST ALL-TIME LAKER & PLAYER
I'm not even a Lakers fan, and The Logo earned my respect. I want to see Kobe make a full-court shot in the last seconds of the FINALS! I want to see Kobe lead the league in assists and make it to the Finals 9 times. That's why Jerry West should be higher than Kobe.
His commitment as a player for the Lakers and making the All-Star team for an amazing 14 years. Then as Laker coach and general manager. I would call that a lifetime career of love and dedication!
He scored 71 points in a game once, the 2nd highest Lakers record in scoring. He also was a good defender and rebounder.
Elgin Baylor is the best from this list, period. He made what the Los Angeles Lakers are today!
Elgin Baylor was a very good player with Jerry West. I hope that he rests in peace.
Widely considered the 3rd best player in the NBA.
He should be No. 1, not only for the Lakers but of all time.
LeBron James was always the best.
He dunked like the Statue of Liberty. And, he was a Finals MVP and number one draft pick. The Lakers would not have 16 championships if they had not drafted him.
George Mikan utterly changed the way "big men" played the Center position. Top 5, for sure. Rating Mikan as #11 is a result of people thinking in the short term. My top 5: Magic, Kareem, Jerry West, Kobe, George Mikan.
George Mikan was one of the NBA's first big stars, and the Lakers should be glad to have him as part of their history. George Mikan led the Lakers to four out of five championships.
He is another one who passed great and was a great post player. Rest in Peace, he passed away about 13, 14 years ago. The first Lakers and NBA star.
He arrived in LA on a team with 2 legendary stars, Shaq and Kobe Bryant. Even as a reserve, he contributed to the success of 3 NBA Titles, and the 0.4 shot would eventually be his hallmark moment. It's Joey's world.
My favorite player of all time. Widely underappreciated and undervalued. Best clutch of all time.
Greatest player ever and he's not acknowledged.
One of the most dominant big men to ever play with the Lakers.
I guess he was more dominant than Lamar Odom.
Pau Gasol was an amazing defender he was an amazing Laker and I loved seeing him play
People forget that Byron Scott was the leading scorer for the Lakers during the 1987-88 championship season. He averaged 21 points a game - that was more than Magic, Worthy, or Kareem!
Kobe's the best, but Byron is my favorite Laker of all time.
Dwight Howard, Superman, is an amazing player, amazing in offense and defense.
Much like Magic, the Showtime Lakers don't win without Coop. Number 16? Behind Steve Nash? No way! A threat and a team player on both sides of the ball. A three-position spark plug. Larry Bird once stated when he worked out in the summer, he thought of Michael Cooper. Enough said!
Behind Nash as a Laker? Behind Malone as a Laker? Those two did exactly what for/as Lakers?
How is this legend not number 1 on the list? This guy played for 9 years with the Lakers and won 4 championships during that time! Not to mention, he coached the team for 10 years.
A true god to the game of basketball. Changed the game. Do I need to say more?
The rumor was that he could not feel pain.