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The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the greatest franchises in sports and in my opinion the greatest in NBA history (sorry Celtics fans). The Lakers have won 16 NBA Championships and have made 31 NBA Finals appearances, 10 more than any other team and the players on this list have had a big role to play in that.
For the purposes of this list, I'll only be considering what the player did as a Laker and not their overall career. So for that reason, the likes of Karl Malone and Steve Nash obviously won't make the list. It's a pretty tough task to rank the greatest players in Lakers history considering the illustrious names who have donned the purple and gold, but I'll give it a try. Here's my top 10:
#10 Gail Goodrich
A silky smooth scorer, Gail Goodrich was one of the key components of the Laker teams of the 70s. Able to score from all over the court, Goodrich was also a more than capable passer who meshed incredibly well with Jerry West in the backcourt.
Things weren't always that way, however. Drafted in 1965, Goodrich would play a reserve role for the 1st three years of his career after which the Suns picked him up in the expansion draft. Now a starter, Gail came into his own and was voted an all-star in 1969. His play led to the Lakers trading Mel Counts to bring Goodrich back to the team.
With West now running the point, Goodrich slotted in at SG and their partnership bloomed. In 1971/72, the Lakers soared, mounting a then-record 69 wins. While a lot of talk around that season is about West and Wilt Chamberlain, Goodrich actually led the team in scoring at 25.9 a game.
He continued his strong play into the postseason and averaged an NBA Finals leading 25.6 Points per game as the Lakers beat the Knicks 4-1 to win their 1st title in Los Angeles. He continued to average over 20 points a game over the coming years, but with the talent on the roster declining, they were unable to reach those lofty heights again.
Goodrich currently ranks 8th in both points and assists in franchise history and his role in bringing the 1st championship to LA cannot be understated.
#9 James Worthy
Big Game James was a big part of the Lakers success in the 1980s. Blessed with blistering speed which allowed him to get past virtually anyone, Worthy made a living out of scoring inside and with the mid-range jumper.
Drafted 1st overall in 1982, Worthy actually started off by choking in the big stage believe it or not. He and Magic Johnson combined to make critical late-game mistakes which led to the Lakers losing in the 1984 Finals, but that was it.
Worthy then began making a name for himself by performing on the biggest stage. After strong showings in the 1985 and 87 Finals, he came into his own in 1988. With Abdul-Jabbar now very much in decline, Worthy shouldered the scoring load and led the Lakers to victory.
His triple-double in Game 7 of those Finals, the only one of his Hall of Fame career, further validated the Big Game James tag. Despite playing alongside two of the greatest of all time, he managed to stand out, electrifying the crowd with his dazzling displays over the years. He currently ranks 6th in points and 3rd in steals in franchise history.
#8 George Mikan
George Mikan was arguably the first superstar of the NBA. In a short but incredibly successful NBA career which lasted 7 years, Mikan won 5 titles and led the league in scoring for the first 3 seasons. He was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in the inaugural season of the NBA and immediately began asserting his dominance.
Mikan led the Lakers to back to back titles in 1949 and 50, only falling short of a three-peat because he fractured his foot in the 1951 playoffs. His dominance over the league meant a few rule changes were put in place, like widening the lane to ensure that bigs like Mikan now had to post up from double the distance.
The changes had little impact, as the Lakers won 3 titles in a row from 52-54, achieving the first three-peat in NBA history. He retired after the 5th title and that was it for the Lakers who wouldn't win another championship till the 70s. Mikan did make a brief return to the team in 1956, but he was past it by then and retired once again after just 40 games.
Mikan was a pioneer of big man basketball and the Mikan Drill is taught to every big man to help them develop rhythm and timing for rebounding and scoring in the paint.
#7 Wilt Chamberlain
As I mentioned before, this is just about what the player did as a Laker, and that is the only reason why Wilt is ranked 7th. The most physically dominating force ever, Chamberlain smashed almost every NBA record during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers and his feats are unlikely to ever be matched.
Also read: Top 10 Regular season scorers in NBA History
An athlete unlike any other in his time, Wilt was also extremely skilled, being able to finish inside at will and having an unstoppable post fadeaway to boot. Disagreements with ownership in Philly led to him being traded to the Lakers in 1968.
He didn't change life in LA immediately, however, as the Lakers lost in the Finals in 1969 and 70, making it 8 Finals losses in 11 years for the franchise. Things changed thereafter, as Bill Sharman took over as the coach and gave Wilt a new role, with diminished scoring, but more emphasis on defense and rebounding.
His scoring dipped, but the Lakers soared to an NBA record 69 wins as Wilt took on the Bill Russell role in a way, anchoring the paint (made his first NBA All-Defensive Team) and initiating the fast breaks.
This time in the Finals, the Lakers finally broke through against the Knicks and Wilt was named Finals MVP, posting 19 Points and 23 Rebounds a game. They reached the Finals again the following season, but an undermanned roster was no match for the Knicks and after the series, Chamberlain retired from the NBA.
He currently ranks 1st in rebounds per game and FG% in franchise history and it's unlikely that anyone is ever going to break those records.
#6 Elgin Baylor
The somewhat forgotten man in Lakers history, Elgin Baylor remains one of the most underrated players of all time. Perhaps the first above the rim player the NBA had seen, Baylor was also a terrific rebounder, adept passer and his hanging jump shots were a sight to behold.
In 1958, the slumping Lakers drafted Baylor 1st overall and he instantly turned them into contenders, leading them all the way to the Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics, as a sign of things to come.
Baylor continued to dominate after the arrival of Jerry West and peaked in 1961-62 when he averaged over 38 points and 17 rebounds, but the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the Finals despite an NBA Finals record 61 points by Baylor in Game 5.
It was the theme of a somewhat cursed career, as Baylor lost 8 Finals in his career - 7 against the Celtics and one to the Knicks. He retired in 1971, 9 games into the season, citing knee problems and wouldn't you know it, the Lakers won the title that very season.
They did give him a ring, but that isn't recognized by the NBA. A little-known fact is that the Lakers were on the verge of folding back in 1958 and had Baylor not joined the team, they might as well have. He to this date is the franchise leader in points per game and total rebounds.
#5 Jerry West
If the overall contribution to the franchise was the main consideration on this list, Jerry West would be the runaway winner. In over 40 years of service as a player, coach, and executive, West left an everlasting impact on the Lakers.
Drafted in 1962, West formed one of the most deadly duos in the league with Baylor and together they led LA to 7 NBA Finals, but unfortunately lost all of them. He was actually the Finals MVP in 1969, thereby becoming the only player to date to ever win the award despite losing the series.
Over the years, West's role evolved from that as a scorer to a distributor and it was a sign of his greatness that he flipped into one of the best playmakers in the league in an instant. After leading the league in scoring in 1970, he then led the league in assists in 1972, the year when the Lakers finally broke through to win the title.
While he is often remembered as an offensive force, being a terrific shooter and playmaker, a fact that often goes unnoticed is that he was actually a pretty good defender. West made the NBA All-Defensive Team 5 years in a row once they started the award back in 1968.
He currently ranks 2nd in points and 3rd in assists in franchise history, but his influence on the Lakers can't just be measured by numbers. He is as responsible as anyone for the success the Lakers have had over the years.
#4 Shaquille O'Neal
The Diesel was an unstoppable force during his 8 years with the Lakers. Shaq's unique combination of power and nimble feet made him impossible to defend for anyone and he used it to deadly effect.
Shaq arrived in LA in 1996, with the Lakers having failed to get out of the 2nd round since the Showtime era. Despite his presence, however, the team failed to get past resident powers in the West in the form of the Jazz and Spurs, but things were about to change in 1999, as Phil Jackson took over coaching duties and a young Kobe Bryant began showing some of his true potential.
Armed with the best supporting cast of his career, Shaq and the Lakers had their best season since Showtime. He would win his only MVP, averaging 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3 blocks as the team won 67 games and won the title for the first time in over a decade. They'd win the next two championships as well and O'Neal was the Finals MVP in all 3 of them.
It was around this time, however, that his relationship with Bryant went sour. They failed to win the title in the next two years and by the end of the 2003-04 season, O'Neal was clearly in decline, averaging a then career-low 21 points a game.
He would be traded away that offseason due to differences with ownership, thereby ending a very successful partnership on a very sour note. O'Neal ranks 2nd in franchise history in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.
#3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
One of the all-time greats, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spent 14 seasons with the Lakers, winning 5 championships and 3 league MVP honors. Possessing the most unstoppable shot in NBA history, the Skyhook, Jabbar soared to the top of the all-time scoring charts. In 1975, Kareem was traded to a Lakers squad which had just missed the playoffs for the 1st time since moving to LA and he had an immediate impact.
Jabbar was crowned MVP in each of his first 2 seasons in LA and he led the team to the Conference Finals in 1977, but they came up short to the Blazers. Playoff disappointments were a theme till 1979 when the team drafted Magic Johnson and their fortunes changed forever.
With Magic in tow, Jabbar would win 5 titles in 9 years and he was named Finals MVP once. He currently ranks 1st in blocks, 2nd in rebounds and 3rd in points in franchise history. The reason why Kareem doesn't go higher is quite simply that on the biggest occasions it was usually Magic and not Jabbar who came up strong and led LA to victory.
#2 Kobe Bryant
The Black Mamba comes in at #2 and quite frankly there wasn't much to separate him and #1. The leading scorer in Lakers franchise history, Bryant torched defenses throughout the league for much of his 20-year career with the Lakers. Drafted by the Hornets in 1996, Jerry West pulled off a trade to bring Kobe Bryant to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.
Bryant had a solid but unspectacular rookie year, but he was suddenly pushed into center stage in the playoffs with Shaq having fouled out and he shot 4 airballs late in the game as the Lakers lost to the Jazz. Bryant has pointed out how this game gave him the drive and motivation to become the player that he became eventually.
He shook off the disappointment and then during the three-peat, became the closer for the team. Tensions with Shaq, however, were at an all-time high and after O'Neal was traded in 2004, the Lakers struggled despite Bryant putting up monster numbers.
All that changed when Pau Gasol joined the team. With an able supporting cast alongside him, Bryant won 2 more championships in 2009 and 2010 and famously said: "I just got one more than Shaq." He would also win his only MVP award in 2008. Kobe finished his career, as the franchise leader in games played, and steals as well.
#1 Magic Johnson
The greatest PG of all time, Magic Johnson is the greatest Laker ever and his impact on the team was unlike any other. With the Lakers failing to get over the hump and win a title, his arrival in 1979 changed everything.
With Magic, the Lakers won 60 games and reached the Finals, where up 3-2 on the Sixers, they seemed to have the title wrapped up, only for Jabbar to be out of Game 6 with an injury. A rookie Magic then played at Center and dropped 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had 7 assists as the Lakers won Game 6 and he won Finals MVP.
He would also win Finals MVP in 1982 and 1987, and poor performances in the 1984 Finals are perhaps the only blemish on an impeccable career. Johnson also won 3 regular season MVPs in 1987, 1989 and 1990.
The 1989-90 season, in particular, was special, as with Jabbar retiring in 1989, not many predicted that the Lakers would be successful; instead, they won 63 games. They would suffer an early playoff exit, but in '91, Magic once again led the Lakers to the Finals; but an injury-riddled roster was no match for Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
Johnson, unfortunately, had to retire after that Finals because of HIV. He tried to make a comeback in 1996, but that was short lived. Magic currently ranks 1st in assists and 2nd in steals in franchise history.
Who's in your list of greatest Los Angeles Lakers players ever? Sound off in the comments below!
