The Lakers are arguably one of the most stacked franchises in NBA history in terms of the legends of the game that have played for them. Making an all-time starting five of the franchise legends isn’t easy, but James Worthy named his on ‘All The Smoke’.
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“I gotta start with Elgin Baylor. Wilt wasn’t a Laker long enough, so I’m going with Kareem at the center. Shaq, Kobe, and Magic.”
Elgin Baylor was on the Lakers for 14 seasons but won zero championships due to the dominance of the Bill Russell-led Celtics. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won five titles with the Lakers, winning one Finals MVP as well. He won those titles alongside Magic Johnson, who picked up three Finals MVPs of his own.
Shaquille O’Neal three-peated as Finals MVP for his three consecutive titles. Kobe Bryant was there for all three, but added two more and picked up a couple of finals MVPs as well.
This may be a collection of the five most accomplished superstars the Lakers have ever seen, so Worthy may have nailed it with his picks here.
James Worthy Explains Why Elgin Baylor Made His List
The selection of Baylor may be the only one that could generate some controversy, given his lack of championship success. But Worthy explained why he picked Elgin for his list.
“I know the history behind him, seen the footage, talked to people around him. One morning I woke up to the LA Times sports page, ‘James Worthy is the second-best small forward to play.’ I was like, ‘Second?’, but then I saw Elgin was No. 1 and left it alone. Elgin created the jump shot with actual jumping. The euro step, if you look at his footage, he was already doing it and sticking on your ass. I saw him stick Bill Russell a few times in the footage. The brother played from an army base, he was in the military… Chick Hearn to this day says Elgin Baylor was the baddest boy he’d ever seen.”
In terms of pure ability, you could lean on adding LeBron James. If you want to combine ability, championships, and impact on the franchise, Worthy himself should be in contention for the forward spot. But if Worthy thinks it’s Baylor’s spot, we won’t argue with his 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds career average with the Lakers.
The Argument For LeBron James In The All-Time Starting Five
LeBron James has spent enough time on the Lakers to be considered relevant to the franchise’s history, entering his sixth year with LA. That’s already more time than he spent on the Heat and one year short of his longest single-team stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010.
As a Lakers, James has the highest per-game scoring average and broke the all-time scoring record in the team’s colors. In addition, he brought a banner to the arena and can call himself a Finals MVP. His overall per-game average on the Lakers in five seasons has been 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists, an incredible feat considering James joined at the age of 34.
With the Lakers in contention for the title this season, LeBron can solidify his case as the starting forward on a Lakers all-time starting five if he can win another title this season. Achieving something so historic in Year 21 in the purple and gold will eventually tip the scales in his favor over Baylor and Worthy, especially given his overall impact on the history of basketball.
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