OT--all time best Lakers?

[RF2044]

With Kobe retiring, it makes me wonder about who the all time best Lakers are. I don't think it corresponds to positions.

Obviously Magic and Kobe at guard. Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq. Elgin Baylor. Jerry West. That a player like James Worthy feels like a cut below those listed above is telling.

Hard to pick a top 5. And I'm probably overlooking a player or two out.

Thoughts?

 

[RF2044]

PS--this thread is sickening, as a Boston Celtics fan.

 

[OrangeDW]

With Kobe retiring, it makes me wonder about who the all time best Lakers are. I don't think it corresponds to positions.

Obviously Magic and Kobe at guard. Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq. Elgin Baylor. Jerry West.

Hard to pick a top 5. And I'm probably overlooking a player or two out.

Thoughts?

Kobe can be argued as the "greatest Laker" due to his overall accomplishments with the franchise. Kareem can be argued as the best basketball player who played for the Lakers. But Magic's gotta be #1, in my opinion. Kobe and Kareem are #2 and 3, order can be argued.

Then the next tier would be West, Baylor, Shaq, and Wilt in some order.

 

[tee1222]

PS--this thread is sickening, as a Boston Celtics fan.

Imagine being a Knicks fan like me

 

[Briancuse]

Magic
Kobe
West
Baylor
Wilt

 

[RF2044]

Kobe can be argued as the "greatest Laker" due to his overall accomplishments with the franchise. Kareem can be argued as the best basketball player who played for the Lakers. But Magic's gotta be #1, in my opinion. Kobe and Kareem are #2 and 3, order can be argued.

Then the next tier would be West, Baylor, Shaq, and Wilt in some order.

Irrespective of order, I agree that those "feel" like the top 7.

 

[tee1222]

Karl Malone was a Laker. Might not be all time best Laker-"Worthy" but one of the NBA greats.

 

[tee1222]

Magic
Kobe
West
Baylor
Wilt

That's one mean lineup. Nasty even.

 

[RF2044]

Karl Malone was a Laker. Might not be all time best Laker-"Worthy" but one of the NBA greats.

Undoubtedly, Karl Malone is one of the all time great NBA players. I hesitate to label him an all time great Laker, given his limited time there.

 

[Toga]

Kobe can be argued as the "greatest Laker" due to his overall accomplishments with the franchise. Kareem can be argued as the best basketball player who played for the Lakers. But Magic's gotta be #1, in my opinion. Kobe and Kareem are #2 and 3, order can be argued.

Then the next tier would be West, Baylor, Shaq, and Wilt in some order.

Chamberlain stands below no player, be they a Laker or not.

 

[tee1222]

Undoubtedly, Karl Malone is one of the all time great NBA players. I hesitate to label him an all time great Laker, given his limited time there.

What a strange year. To think that they had Shaq, Kobe, Payton, Malone and still didn't get it done.

 

[RF2044]

What a strange year. To think that they had Shaq, Kobe, Payton, Malone and still didn't get it done.

Payton and Malone were OLD. Shells of themselves by that point. That was a strange team.

 

[OrangeDW]

Payton and Malone were OLD. Shells of themselves by that point. That was a strange team.

They actually both played pretty well for them that year during the season. But Malone got hurt, and Payton completely ran out of gas in the playoffs. So yeah, old age ruined both of their seasons.

 

[OrangeDW]

Chamberlain stands below no player, be they a Laker or not.

Kareem with 6 MVP's and 6 championships certainly has a strong argument to be made for him.

 

[RF2044]

Chamberlain stands below no player, be they a Laker or not.

Kareem with 6 MVP's and 6 championships certainly has a strong argument to be made for him.

The Lakers have really had an embarrassment of all time great elite riches in the pivot. Imagine debating who the all time best was when you're talking about Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq...

 

[Toga]

Kareem with 6 MVP's and 6 championships certainly has a strong argument to be made for him.

He does indeed. My first draft pick would still be Wilt.

 

[Briancuse]

That's one mean lineup. Nasty even.

An embarrassment of riches, and that is with leaving Shaq and Kareem off the list.

 

[tee1222]

An embarrassment of riches, and that is with leaving Shaq and Kareem off the list.

So let's do the orangefan13 all time Jerami Grant is growing as we speak Lakers lineup!
C Wilt
PF Shaq
SF Kareem lol
SG Elgin Baylor
PG Magic
Sorry Kobe. I know it's your big night and all, but you fell a few inches too short for this one.

 

[br801]

With Kobe retiring, it makes me wonder about who the all time best Lakers are. I don't think it corresponds to positions.

Obviously Magic and Kobe at guard. Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq. Elgin Baylor. Jerry West. That a player like James Worthy feels like a cut below those listed above is telling.

Hard to pick a top 5. And I'm probably overlooking a player or two out.

Thoughts?

Throw in George Mikan and Gail Goodrich, too.

 

[MCC]

Don't see how Kareem can be left off the list. Wilt vies with Kareem for #1 center all time, no question. I accept that some feel Wilt is a peerless #1. However, his tenure with the Lakers - at the tail end of his career - pales in comparison to what Kareem accomplished there - even if one disregards length of said tenure (which is inarguably tilted in Kareem's favor).

As an 80s Lakers fan (apologies, RF), my list:

Magic
West
Baylor
Shaq
Wilt
Kareem
Kobe

I concur that Worthy - as important as he was to the 80s title teams - falls just short of the top tier. Recall also that George Mikan was a Laker (Minneapolis) and one could consider bringing him into the fold.

 

[OrangeDW]

So let's do the orangefan13 all time Jerami Grant is growing as we speak Lakers lineup!
C Wilt
PF Shaq
SF Kareem lol
SG Elgin Baylor
PG Magic
Sorry Kobe. I know it's your big night and all, but you fell a few inches too short for this one.

How about Pau Gasol in for Magic and PG, and George Mikan at the SG for Baylor? Sure you sacrifice some offense, but LOOK AT THAT LENGTH FOR the 2-3!! Gotta have LENGTH!

 

[br801]

Don't see how Kareem can be left off the list. Wilt vies with Kareem for #1 center all time, no question. I accept that some feel Wilt is a peerless #1. However, his tenure with the Lakers - at the tail end of his career - pales in comparison to what Kareem accomplished there - even if one disregards length of said tenure (which is inarguably tilted in Kareem's favor).

As an 80s Lakers fan (apologies, RF), my list:

Magic
West
Baylor
Shaq
Wilt
Kareem
Kobe

I concur that Worthy - as important as he was to the 80s title teams - falls just short of the top tier. Recall also that George Mikan was a Laker (Minneapolis) and one could consider bringing him into the fold.

That really was "old" Wilt for his five seasons as a Laker, but he still managed to average 17.7ppg, 19.2rpg and 4.3apg on .605 shooting, with who knows how many blocked shots.

 

[OrangeDW]

What a strange year. To think that they had Shaq, Kobe, Payton, Malone and still didn't get it done.

All "they were superstars elsewhere" Lakers team:

Gary Payton
Glen Rice
Bob McAdoo
Karl Malone
Dwight Howard

McAdoo played a role on several champions, Rice was the 3rd leading scorer on a champion in his one year in LA. The other guys it's easy to forget they ever played there.

 

[dasher]

He does indeed. My first draft pick would still be Wilt.

For the lakers or the 66 ers. My top pick would be Bill Russell. 11 rings will do that to me.

 

[Briancuse]

So let's do the orangefan13 all time Jerami Grant is growing as we speak Lakers lineup!
C Wilt
PF Shaq
SF Kareem lol
SG Elgin Baylor
PG Magic
Sorry Kobe. I know it's your big night and all, but you fell a few inches too short for this one.

Some really great players have to be left out, I just think the 5 rings, and being the 3rd all time scorer puts him in the top five.