Now that we’ve stirred some debate with this writer’s opinion on who the greatest Boston Celtics of all time are, who would likely be the greatest Los Angeles Lakers players of all time?
10. Elgin Baylor. After the glory days of George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers needed a shot in the arm. They convinced Elgin Baylor to skip his senior year of college and jump to the pros in the 1958-59 season, literally saving the Lakers from bankruptcy. In his rookie year, the high-scoring forward finished fourth in scoring, eighth in rebounding and third in assists. He led the Lakers from last place to the finals. In the next three years, he averaged an amazing 34.8, 38.3 and 34 points per game. He once set a league record on 71 points in one game, before Wilt Chamberlain decided to erase the record books. But injuries shortened his career, and he retired never having won a title.
9. AC Green/James Worthy. Each won three championships with the Lakers in the 1980’s, and it was hard to choose substance over flash, since both produced results. Everyone loved “Big Games James” swooping in for a Statue of Liberty dunk on the front end of the fastbreak, and he even displaced Jamaal Wilkes as a starter. If he were healthy, the Lakers would have stood a chance against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals in 1983. Worthy was chosen by the Lakers instead of Dominique Wilkins, because he was a much better fit. But Green was the reason they had a fastbreak to begin with, leading the Lakers in rebounding six of his eight seasons with LA. In 1990, the rebounder was named an NBA All-Star. The self-proclaimed virgin Green also returned to LA in the 1999-2000 championship season, bridging the eras of Magic and Kobe, and set a record for most consecutive NBA games played with 1,192.
8. Gail Goodrich. He probably had the most undignified nickname of an NBA great: “Stumpy.” But make no mistake, the 6-1 guard’s impact on the Lakers was far-reaching, even beyond his playing years. First, he led the Lakers to an unheard-of 33 straight wins and a 69-13 record in the 1971-72 season. Goodrich was the leading scorer on that team, which included Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. And he was the team’s leading scorer for four years beginning then. He retired as the third highest-scoring left-handed in league history. On a final note, when he transferred to the New Orleans Jazz in the 1975-76 season, the Lakers were entitled to drafts in exchange for losing him. One of those picks turned out to be Magic Johnson.
7. Wilt Chamberlain. The Big Dipper this low on a list like this? Yes. Chamberlain was plagued by bad coaching and weak teammates throughout his career, but most of all, there were occasions when he folded in crucial Game 7s. What happened in the 1970 Finals, with Willis Reed injured? Before Game 7, Wilt was looking over his shoulder to see if Reed would show up. When he did, Wilt became a non-factor. He also had similar moments against the Celtics. He was without a doubt, the most impressive scorer in league history (setting records in every NBA venue), and deservedly won titles with Philadelphia and LA. That question still lingers.
6. Jerry West. It was difficult for me to put Jerry West this low on the list, for the simple reason that he has done so much for the Laker franchise and the sport of basketball. But if we isolate what he has done as a player, we’d see that he was a winner who unfortunately ran smack into the Boston Celtics at the height of their greatness. And you have to beat the best to be the best. The 10-time All-NBA First Team member won only one title in 1972, but came so close so many times, it tortures him to this day. He was so respected that the nickname “Mr. Clutch” was not enough, the NBA made him the symbol for the league (check out the logo). And in 1969, he became the first and only Finals MVP from a losing team.
5. Kobe Bryant. In the second phase of his career, Kobe Bryant has turned into perhaps the greatest athletic talent in the NBA, with all due respect to Michael Jordan. His ability to create shots and find a way to score are unparalleled, and his development of his left hand as a weapon is unequaled in all of basketball. He has three NBA titles, brings TV ratings up, has rewritten scoring records (including an 81-point outburst), and has become an infinitely better passer and more magnanimous leader this season. Should Bryant win at least one title, he will supplant Shaquille O’Neal at third place.
4. Shaquille O’Neal. Tough choice here. Kobe or Shaq? The fact of the matter is, Shaquille O’Neal early in his career was more important to the Lakers, as proven by their success in the early 2000’s, though that was partly because coach Del Harris didn’t believe in Bryant. NBA statistician Elliot Kalb considers O’Neal the greatest NBA player of al time, bar none, because of how thoroughly he was superior to other players in his time, and how he overcame greats like David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. When he won his first Most Valuable Player Award in 2000, he was one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP. The Lakers won three straight titles with Shaq, and made the Finals again in 2004. Moreover, they haven’t won a championship since he left.
3. Magic Johnson. Where does the game end, and the flair begin? Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are credited with reviving the NBA just as it hit bottom in the late 1970’s. He was a freak of nature, a 6-9 point guard who ran the fastbreak, and hated to lose. Johnson promptly led the Los Angeles Lakers to their second dynasty, dominating the 1980’s in a manner second only to the Boston Celtics and Minneapolis Lakers themselves. It was rare that a rookie would win a championship, let alone a Finals MVP (though some people believe Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deserved it more). After winning their first title, Magic’s discontent caused the firing of head coach Paul Westhead and the promotion of Pat Riley. Johnson found ways to win, and rejuvenated a sullen Abdul-Jabbar. More importantly, he was part of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. In 2007, ESPN rated him the greatest point guard of all time. And we didn’t even touch on his accomplishments as a Dream Team member, and ambassador for the game.
2. George Mikan. The original Croatian Sensation. George Mikan was the foundation of the Minneapolis Lakers franchise and its ensuing greatness. The 6-10 superstar averaged an astonishing 31 points per game in the first-ever NBA playoffs in 1959 (when the Basketball Association of America and American Basketball League merged to become the NBA). The league only started tracking rebounds the following year, and Mikan averaged 14.1 to rank second. Mikan’s presence caused many innovations in NBA history. First, the shot clock was invented mainly because of a game in which the Fort Wayne Pistons held the ball after taking a 19-18 lead. Mikan had scored 15 of his team’s points, a record percentage to this day. Also, In 1951, the league widened the three-second area, and this was called “The Mikan Rule”. Still, in six years, the Lakers won five titles, losing only when Mikan fractured his leg in 1951.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It would be hard not to put Kareem on top of this list. Fredrick Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. had metamorphosed into an NBA champin with the Milwaukee Bucks, but signaled even greater things when he started wearing his signature goggles when he joined LA in 1975. The following year, he took the Lakers to the finals, losing to the Portland Trailblazers and fellow UCLA product Bill Walton. Upon the arrival of Magic Johnson at the turn of the decade, the Lakers became the dominant team of the 1980’s, making the Finals eight times and winning five titles, including three Finals appearances in his last three seasons, beating Boston and Detroit for titles in 1987 and 1988. He won his sixth MVP in 1980, and retired as the holder of a formidable string of NBA records. On top of that, his signature Skyhook was considered the most unstoppable shot in basketball.
A difficult list to make, and an enough tougher one to rank.