The Los Angeles Lakers are among the greatest franchises in NBA history. They have the second most titles of all time with 17, and have been the most relevant NBA franchise of the last 40 years. The standard of excellence in Los Angeles is incredibly high, which is why their list of all-time legends features some of the greatest names in NBA history.
Naming the five greatest players from the Lakers is an incredibly challenging task with no right answers, given how rich the history of the franchise is. Nonetheless, ESPN’s Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo shared his take on the five greatest Lakers of all time on a recent episode of First Take.
Russo named Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor as his top five, with Stephen A. Smith openly objecting to Shaquille O’Neal’s snub directly to Russo.
“I love Elgin Baylor, I know how great he was, but Shaq Daddy? How do you leave Shaq daddy off the list?… If Jerry West is the logo, I gotta take Elgin out.”
“I can’t have Elgin and Kobe in there at the expense of Shaq. What about the first three titles? I’m taking Shaq out? The most dominant force the game has ever seen outside of Wilt Chamberlain, I’m gonna leave him out and put Kobe in there? I’m gonna leave him out and put Elgin Baylor in there? We’re gonana leave Shaq out? Can’t do that. Not Shaq.”
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O’Neal’s achievements as a Laker do stack up among the greatest players in the franchise’s history. He averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 514 games in eight seasons with the Lakers, winning three consecutive Finals MVPs from 2000 to 2002 as the Lakers became the last team in NBA history to complete a three-peat.
While Kobe was also on that team, O’Neal was the unquestionable best player on the court through that stretch. He won an MVP in a Lakers uniform while making seven All-Star Teams, eight All-NBA Teams, and three All-Defensive Teams.
Another notable snub for this list is the man who’s been leading the franchise for the last eight years, LeBron James. James is regarded as one of the two greatest players of all time, but joined the franchise at 34 years old, after his athletic peak.
Despite many assuming he was joining for a quick retirement tour, he’s become a pillar of the franchise for most of the last decade, being named an NBA All-Star every season, making the Playoffs every year except one, and winning an NBA Championship. He’s also been named to the All-NBA Team every year until this season, where he isn’t eligible due to playing just 60 games. He’s averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 479 games as a Laker.
It’s fair to leave James out of the conversations because he only won one title with the Lakers, given how high the franchise standard is with their past dynasties. O’Neal’s omission is harder to justify since his peak seasons in the NBA came in a Laker uniform during a time he was genuinely unstoppable on the court.
Jerry West won just one title in an era where the NBA wasn’t nearly as competitive, although they met an unbeatable Boston Celtics dynasty led by Bill Russell for most of West’s career. Elgin Baylor was also part of those Laker teams, so their value on this list is rooted in history. However, it’s hard to justify either player’s on-court accomplishments on the Lakers surpassing LeBron’s, let alone Shaq’s.
Magic, Kobe, and Kareem’s status as all-time Laker greats is secured. Kobe and Magic were both one-team men who won five championships and multiple Finals MVPs, with Kareem also winning five titles in LA alongside Magic. If Magic and Kareem both make it onto this list, it’s inarguable for Shaq to be present alongside Kobe.
Whether you want to value the historic contributions of West and Baylor compared to the modern contributions of LeBron is upto everyone making their own list.
