I am a Laker fan from back in the mid-1980s ... so it's not like I'm some Laker-hater on here slamming Kobe. I'm not. I'm just saying that Kobe Bryant is not the greatest Laker of all-time. That statement doesn't belittle Kobe as much as points to the fact that this franchise has had some of the true greats of the game.
1-MAGIC JOHNSON: To me, he's the greatest Laker. I'm a little biased since he was and always will be my favorite NBA player of all time. But what he did during his career is just amazing. In his 12 seasons before retiring due to contracting HIV, the Lakers won five NBA championships and went to nine NBA Finals. In those Finals, they took down the mighty Sixers twice, the mighty Celtics twice and the mighty Bad Boy Pistons once. Those were three great teams that those Laker teams disposed of (in fact, all three of those teams ... along with Michael Jordan's Bulls ... topped the Lakers in the Finals). Anyone who watched Magic play will always be in awe of what he accomplished.
2-KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR: To me, the most underrated player in NBA history. This man won six NBA MVP awards and still is the all-time leading scorer in league history. Because he was more reserved, private and not as outgoing as Magic, Kareem gets lost in the shuffle a bit. But every Laker fan knows what he meant to this organization.
3-SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: Here is where it gets dicey for me since I could go with a number of guys here. The reason I pick Shaq is that he took this franchise from the 1990s lull that the Celtics struggled to get out of and carried the Lakers back into the promised land. Forget all the B.S., Shaq was freakin' dominant as a Laker. His performances in the NBA Finals were unreal. Yeah, Kobe was on those teams too but he wasn't The Black Mamba yet.
4-KOBE BRYANT: I have Mamba just slightly behind Shaq for the reasons mentioned above. The difference is that Kobe's book is still being written and it wouldn't take much more for him to pass Shaq. Kobe, like Shaq, carried this team from the depths (2004-2005) back to the top of the mountain and he did so without another Hall of Famer. That 81-point game still amazes me. He's right there.
5-JERRY WEST: Maybe I'm devaluing The Logo because I never watched him play. To me, West will always be the guy who built all those NBA Championship teams. The stats don't lie. Only Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor averaged more points per game for their career. Only Jordan averaged more points in the playoffs. He won a championship on that legendary 1972 team. In all, he went to nine NBA Finals and was the Finals MVP in 1969 ... as a member of the losing team.
There are other greats, like Wilt Chamberlain (who I think is the greatest player of all-time ... just that his time with the Lakers wasn't better than what I have listed), Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, George Mikan and Devean George (just seeing if you are paying attention). But the five above truly are the best of the best.
1-MAGIC JOHNSON: To me, he's the greatest Laker. I'm a little biased since he was and always will be my favorite NBA player of all time. But what he did during his career is just amazing. In his 12 seasons before retiring due to contracting HIV, the Lakers won five NBA championships and went to nine NBA Finals. In those Finals, they took down the mighty Sixers twice, the mighty Celtics twice and the mighty Bad Boy Pistons once. Those were three great teams that those Laker teams disposed of (in fact, all three of those teams ... along with Michael Jordan's Bulls ... topped the Lakers in the Finals). Anyone who watched Magic play will always be in awe of what he accomplished.
2-KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR: To me, the most underrated player in NBA history. This man won six NBA MVP awards and still is the all-time leading scorer in league history. Because he was more reserved, private and not as outgoing as Magic, Kareem gets lost in the shuffle a bit. But every Laker fan knows what he meant to this organization.
3-SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: Here is where it gets dicey for me since I could go with a number of guys here. The reason I pick Shaq is that he took this franchise from the 1990s lull that the Celtics struggled to get out of and carried the Lakers back into the promised land. Forget all the B.S., Shaq was freakin' dominant as a Laker. His performances in the NBA Finals were unreal. Yeah, Kobe was on those teams too but he wasn't The Black Mamba yet.
4-KOBE BRYANT: I have Mamba just slightly behind Shaq for the reasons mentioned above. The difference is that Kobe's book is still being written and it wouldn't take much more for him to pass Shaq. Kobe, like Shaq, carried this team from the depths (2004-2005) back to the top of the mountain and he did so without another Hall of Famer. That 81-point game still amazes me. He's right there.
5-JERRY WEST: Maybe I'm devaluing The Logo because I never watched him play. To me, West will always be the guy who built all those NBA Championship teams. The stats don't lie. Only Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor averaged more points per game for their career. Only Jordan averaged more points in the playoffs. He won a championship on that legendary 1972 team. In all, he went to nine NBA Finals and was the Finals MVP in 1969 ... as a member of the losing team.
There are other greats, like Wilt Chamberlain (who I think is the greatest player of all-time ... just that his time with the Lakers wasn't better than what I have listed), Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, George Mikan and Devean George (just seeing if you are paying attention). But the five above truly are the best of the best.
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