Few franchises make a “greatest ever” list as difficult as the Los Angeles Lakers, arguably the most storied franchise in NBA history. This is a franchise that has had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant, among many others.
The standard for a Laker isn’t simply being an NBA superstar. You have to bring championships to Los Angeles, and that is why the LeBron James debate has become so fascinating.
James has already left Los Angeles after eight seasons, signing with Philadelphia for the next chapter of his career. He brought the Lakers a championship, a Finals MVP, and years of elite basketball, but some of the franchise’s old guard still isn’t convinced that is enough to put him among the very best Lakers ever.
Shaquille O’Neal has recently argued that LeBron isn’t in his top five Lakers:
“It’s not underappreciated. “It’s called the business of basketball. They use you for what they can and then when it’s time for them to do something else, go do something else… Only a few players get to [stay], like Magic [Johnson] was lucky he got to stay there the whole time. Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] came in like I did and finished his career there. Kobe [Bryant] stayed there a long time.
“But the rest of us regular people, we come in, we do what we supposed to do,” O’Neal continued. “Hopefully we do it well so we can be remembered and then we move on. It’s no knock against LeBron… The good thing for LeBron, he did win one. Did win one. But you know Kareem got six, Magic got five, Kobe got five, I got four, [Kurt] Rambis got three. So, he’s at the party, but he’s not on stage.”
The statue debate has been even louder. Former NBA player Channing Frye said he didn’t believe James would receive a Lakers statue, while Gilbert Arenas previously argued that James didn’t have enough Lakers-specific accolades to warrant one.
Colin Cowherd has made a similar argument, pointing to the unusually high standard established by the Lakers’ existing legends.
That doesn’t mean LeBron’s Lakers career wasn’t spectacular, because it was.
James averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists during his Lakers tenure, made eight All-Star teams, earned eight All-NBA selections, and delivered the franchise’s 17th championship during the 2019-20 season. He also won Finals MVP in the bubble.
But being a great Laker and being one of the greatest Lakers are two different arguments.
So, where does LeBron land? Here is our ranking.
Honorable Mention: Pau Gasol
Years in Los Angeles: 7 (2008-2014)
Lakers’ Stats: 17.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Honors With Lakers: 2× NBA Champion (2009, 2010), 3× All-Star (2009-2011), 3× All-NBA (2009-2011), 3× NBA Finals Appearance (2008-2010)
Pau Gasol isn’t going to win many arguments about the greatest Lakers ever, but he absolutely belongs in the conversation for the top 10, although he just misses out.
The easiest way to understand Gasol’s importance is to look at what happened immediately after the Lakers acquired him in February 2008: Los Angeles went to three consecutive NBA Finals and won two championships.
Gasol and Kobe Bryant fit together almost perfectly, and that partnership transformed the franchise from a team searching for direction into a championship machine.
The All-Star Spaniard averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in his first full season with Los Angeles and gave Phil Jackson an extraordinarily skilled big man who could score from the post, operate from the elbow, and make the correct pass when defenses collapsed.
He shot 56.7% from the field during the 2008-09 championship season and averaged 18.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game in the postseason.
The 2010 championship run is where Gasol’s Lakers legacy becomes impossible to dismiss. He averaged 18.3 points and 11.3 rebounds during the 2009-10 regular season and was instrumental during the seven-game Finals victory over Boston.
The Lakers needed someone who could complement Kobe, punish smaller defenders, and protect the paint, and that is exactly what Gasol did.
His Lakers career lasted only seven seasons, which keeps him from climbing higher, but two championships and three Finals appearances alongside Kobe are difficult to overlook. Gasol eventually had his No. 16 retired by the franchise, becoming the 13th Laker to receive that honor.
Honorable Mention: Gail Goodrich
Years in Los Angeles: 9 (1965-1968, 1971-1976)
Lakers’ Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors With Lakers: NBA Champion (1972), 4× All-Star (1972-1975), 1× All-NBA Team (1974), 3x NBA Finals Appearance (1968, 1972-1973)
Goodrich is one of those Lakers legends whose resume can get lost when placed next to Magic and Kareem. That’s a shame, because his peak in Los Angeles was tremendous.
He led the Lakers in scoring for four consecutive seasons from 1971-72 through 1974-75 and was one of the primary offensive engines on the greatest regular-season team of its era.
The 1971-72 season is the main one. Goodrich averaged 25.9 points and 4.5 assists as Los Angeles ripped off an NBA-record 33 consecutive victories, finished 69-13, and ultimately won the championship. That 33-game winning streak remains one of the most untouchable records in NBA history.
Goodrich wasn’t simply along for the ride with Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. In 1973-74, he averaged 25.3 points and 5.2 assists and earned First Team All-NBA honors.
His career numbers don’t scream “top-10 Laker” when it comes to pure stats, but the resume does. Five All-Star appearances, a championship, an All-NBA First Team selection, and a retired jersey are enough to get him onto the honorable mention list.
10. George Mikan
Years with Lakers: 7 (1949-1956)
Lakers’ Stats: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
Honors With Lakers: 5× BAA/NBA Champion (1949-1950, 1952-1954), 6× All-BAA/NBA First Team (1949-1954), 4× All-Star (1951-1954), 1× All-Star Game MVP (1953), 3× Scoring Champion (1949-1951)
George Mikan is the historical wild card in any Lakers ranking because his greatest work came before the franchise moved to Los Angeles. But if we’re talking about the Lakers franchise, you can’t simply erase Minneapolis from the history book.
Mikan was the first true superstar of the organization and the dominant force behind its first championship era.
He helped the Lakers win five championships in their first six seasons in the BAA/NBA, establishing a winning culture that would eventually follow the franchise forever. Mikan was so dominant around the basket that the league changed its rules because of him.
His scoring numbers were outrageous for his era. Mikan led the league in scoring three times and averaged 28.4 points per game during the 1948-49 season, while also dominating the glass with 14.1 rebounds.
The only question is how heavily you want to weigh the Minneapolis years against the Los Angeles era. Since we’re ranking the Lakers franchise, he has an easy top-10 case.
9. Wilt Chamberlain
Years with Lakers: 5 (1969-1973)
Lakers’ Stats: 17.7 PPG, 19.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 5.4 BPG
Honors With Lakers: NBA Champion (1972), 4× All-Star (1969, 1971-1973), 1x All-NBA Team (1972), 2× All-Defensive Team (1972-1973), 4× NBA Finals Appearance (1969, 1970, 1972-1973)
Wilt Chamberlain didn’t spend nearly as long with the Lakers as Kareem, Kobe, or Magic, but his five seasons in Los Angeles were still enormous.
The Lakers acquired Chamberlain from Philadelphia in 1968, pairing him with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to create one of the most star-studded rosters of the era. The results were undeniable: Los Angeles reached the NBA Finals in four of Wilt’s five seasons with the franchise.
And then came 1971-72.
At age 35, Chamberlain wasn’t the 50-point-per-game monster who had terrorized the league in Philadelphia. Instead, he became the defensive anchor and rebounding machine that the Lakers needed. He averaged 14.8 points and 19.2 rebounds during the regular season, while Los Angeles won a then-record 69 games and had 33 consecutive victories.
The Lakers finally broke through in the Finals, defeating the Knicks in five games to win their first championship since moving to Los Angeles.
Wilt was also named Finals MVP, despite averaging only 19.4 points (and 23.2 rebounds) during the series. His impact was everywhere else: rebounding, rim protection, defense, and controlling the paint. He even famously played through the Finals with a broken hand.
That’s why Wilt has a stronger Lakers case than his short tenure might suggest.
8. LeBron James
Years in Los Angeles: 8 (2019-2026)
Lakers’ Stats: 25.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Honors With Lakers: NBA Champion (2020), NBA Finals MVP (2020), 8× All-Star (2019-2026), 7× All-NBA (2019-2025), NBA Cup Champion (2024), 1x NBA Finals Appearance (2020)
Here is where the argument gets uncomfortable because, as much as some don’t want to admit it, LeBron James is one of the 10 greatest Lakers ever.
James arrived in Los Angeles in 2018 when the Lakers had missed the playoffs for five straight seasons. Two years later, he was holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy and Finals MVP award after leading Los Angeles through one of the strangest and most difficult seasons in NBA history.
He averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists during the 2020 playoffs and became the first player in NBA history to win Finals MVP with three different franchises.
The Lakers also got an enormous amount of longevity from him. James remained an All-NBA-level player well into his late 30s, and in his final Lakers season, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists at age 41.
And that’s the part that makes the “LeBron wasn’t a great Laker” argument silly. Longevity matters, and LeBron helped the post-Kobe era transition more smoothly than we all thought it would.
Still, LeBron spent eight seasons in Los Angeles and won only one championship, so LeBron lands at No. 8 as a result.
7. Elgin Baylor
Years in Los Angeles: 14 (1959-1972; Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers)
Lakers’ Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG
Honors With Lakers: 11× All-Star (1959-1965, 1967-1970), 10× All-NBA Team (1959-1965, 1967-1969), 1× All-Star Game MVP (1959), 8× NBA Finals Appearance (1959, 1962-1963, 1965-1966, 1968-1970)
If this were a ranking of pure basketball talent, Elgin Baylor might be even higher because his numbers were video-game worthy.
Baylor averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across his Lakers career. He averaged at least 30 points and 14 rebounds in the same season three times, and during the 1961-62 season he somehow averaged 38.3 points and 18.6 rebounds.
And he was doing it without a three-point line, if the young ones tend to forget.
Baylor was one of basketball’s original aerial superstars, using strength, athleticism, and body control to attack the rim in an era when the game was far more physical. He once scored 71 points in a game, and his 61-point performance in the 1962 NBA Finals remains a Finals record.
The only reason he isn’t higher is the same reason his resume can be difficult to contextualize: the Lakers never won a championship during his playing career.
He reached the Finals eight times and was named First Team All-NBA 10 times. The Lakers still rank him among the franchise’s most decorated players, and his No. 22 hangs in the rafters.
6. James Worthy
Years in Los Angeles: 12 (1983-1994)
Lakers’ Stats: 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Honors With Lakers: 3× NBA Champion (1985, 1987-1988), 7× All-Star (1986-1992), 2× All-NBA (1990-1991), 1× NBA Finals MVP (1988), 7x NBA Finals Appearance (1984-1985, 1987-1989, 1991)
“Big Game James” has one of the greatest nicknames in NBA history because he earned it. James Worthy was never going to dominate the scoring charts ahead of Kareem and Magic, but he didn’t need to.
He was the perfect running mate for Showtime, a 6’9″ forward who could finish in transition and turn an ordinary possession into two points before the defense could blink.
His Lakers career produced 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, but his playoff resume is where things get serious. Worthy won three championships with Los Angeles and became Finals MVP in 1988 after averaging 22.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists during the postseason.
That 1988 Finals performance against Detroit was the signature moment. In Game 7, Worthy delivered a legendary triple-double, 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, to secure the Lakers’ second consecutive championship.
That’s Big Game James for you.
He also played in seven All-Star Games and was selected to the All-NBA team twice. The Lakers didn’t need him to be the face of the franchise because Magic and Kareem occupied those roles, but his importance to Showtime is undeniable.
5. Jerry West
Years in Los Angeles: 14 (1961-1974)
Lakers’ Stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Honors With Lakers: NBA Champion (1972), NBA Finals MVP (1969), 14× All-Star (1961-1974), 12× All-NBA Team (1962-1973), 5x All-Defensive Team (1969-1973), 9x NBA Finals Appearance (1962-1963, 1965-1966, 1968-1970, 1972-1973)
The logo belongs this high, and it hurts not to place him higher. Jerry West spent his entire 14-year playing career with the Lakers and somehow made 14 straight All-Star teams.
He averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists for his career and led the league in scoring in 1969-70 at 31.2 points per game. West’s Lakers career is also one of the greatest examples of a player being defined by both excellence and frustration.
He reached the Finals nine times but only won once.
That championship finally came in 1972, when the Lakers went 69-13 and won 33 straight games. West averaged 26.9 points during the regular season and was still one of the league’s most dangerous players despite being in his early 30s.
And then there’s the 1969 Finals.
West averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds against Boston and became the first, and still only, player to win Finals MVP despite playing for the losing team.
West wasn’t simply an incredible scorer. He was a devastating shooter, an elite passer, and a fiercely competitive guard who was the face of the NBA at one point.
His No. 44 is retired, his statue stands outside the arena, and the NBA literally used his silhouette as its logo.
4. Shaquille O’Neal
Years in Los Angeles: 8 (1997-2004)
Lakers’ Stats: 27.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.5 BPG
Honors With Lakers: 3× NBA Champion (2000-2002), 3× NBA Finals MVP (2000-2002), 1× NBA MVP (2000), 7× All-Star (1997-1998, 2000-2004), 8× All-NBA Team (1997-2004), 3x All-Defensive Team (2000-2001, 2003), 2x All-Star Game MVP (2000, 2004), 4x NBA Finals Appearance (2000-2002, 2004)
Shaq’s latest LeBron comments make this ranking especially entertaining, because if Shaq wants to keep LeBron outside the top five Lakers, there is one very obvious reason: Shaq is sitting here at No. 4, and to some, he should be higher.
O’Neal averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks during his eight seasons in Los Angeles. In 1999-2000, he averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks, won MVP, and led the Lakers to their first championship in 12 years.
He ended up leading the Lakers to three straight titles and four NBA Finals appearances.
Shaq won three straight Finals MVP awards from 2000 through 2002, making him the centerpiece of the Lakers’ first three-peat since the Showtime era. During those three championship runs, opponents simply didn’t have an answer for him.
The 2000 Finals against Indiana saw Shaq average 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds, numbers that still don’t make sense.
The Lakers reached four Finals during Shaq’s eight seasons and won three championships. He also earned six First Team All-NBA selections as a Laker and remains one of only a handful of players to win MVP in purple and gold.
His relationship with Kobe eventually exploded, and the partnership ended badly. Luckily, they patched it up once both stars got older.
But none of that changes what Shaq was at his peak: the most dominant player we have ever seen.
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Years in Los Angeles: 14 (1976-1989)
Lakers’ Stats: 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.5 BPG
Honors With Lakers: 5× NBA Champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-1988), 3× NBA MVP (1976-1977, 1980), 13× All-Star (1976-1977, 1979-1989), 10× All-NBA (1976-1981, 1983-1986), 7× All-Defensive Team (1976-1981, 1984), 8x NBA Finals Appearance (1980, 1982-1985, 1987-1989)
Kareem’s Lakers career is almost unfair to compare with anybody else’s. In fact, his basketball legacy is almost incomparable.
He arrived in Los Angeles already possessing an MVP and a championship from Milwaukee. Then he spent another 14 seasons with the Lakers and won five more championships, three MVP awards, and 13 All-Star selections.
The skyhook became one of the most unstoppable weapons in NBA history, and Kareem remained productive long after most superstar centers would have declined. His Lakers profile shows how extraordinary he was: he averaged at least 20 points in each of his first 17 NBA seasons and retired as the league’s all-time scoring leader with 38,387 points.
Kareem was the superstar who carried the Lakers through the late 1970s before Magic Johnson arrived, then remained elite enough to play a central role in the Showtime dynasty. In the 1985 Finals, at age 38, he averaged 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists against Boston and won Finals MVP.
Kareem’s Lakers resume includes five championships, three MVPs with Los Angeles, 10 First Team All-NBA selections overall, and five First Team All-Defense selections with the franchise.
He is not No. 1 because the Lakers have an even more obvious answer, and that shows how amazing the Lakers franchise is.
2. Magic Johnson
Years in Los Angeles: 13 (1980-1991, 1996)
Lakers’ Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Honors With Lakers: 5× NBA Champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-1988), 3× NBA MVP (1987, 1989-1990), 3× NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987), 12× All-Star (1980, 1982-1991), 10× All-NBA (1982-1991), 2x All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992), NBA Finals Appearance (1980, 1982-1985, 1987-1989, 1991)
Magic Johnson is the greatest Laker ever for some, but it doesn’t even matter if he is second here. He changed what the Lakers looked like.
The Showtime Lakers were built on speed and entertainment, and nobody embodied that better than Magic. At 6’9″, he could grab a rebound, turn around and launch a fast break while somehow seeing angles that everyone else couldn’t.
Magic is still the greatest passer and floor general in NBA history, without disrespect to LeBron James or John Stockton.
Magic averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and an absurd 11.2 assists over his Lakers career, and his accolades are extraordinary. Listing them: Five titles, three MVPs, three Finals MVPs, 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections.
Oh, and the most iconic Finals performance in franchise history. As a rookie in the 1980 Finals, with Kareem sidelined for Game 6, Magic started at center and erupted for 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists to close out Philadelphia.
Magic became the face of Showtime and helped lead Los Angeles to five championships during the 1980s. His career assists remain one of the greatest statistical achievements in NBA history, and his 11.2 assists per game as a Laker are still staggering by modern standards.
Magic has a case for being #1, but we have one guy ahead of him.
1. Kobe Bryant
Years in Los Angeles: 20 (1997-2016)
Lakers’ Stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Honors With Lakers: 5× NBA Champion (2000-2002, 2009-2010), 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009-2010), 1× NBA MVP (2008), 18× All-Star (1998, 2000-2016), 15× All-NBA (1999-2013), 12× All-Defensive (1999-2004, 2006-2012), 7x NBA Finals Appearance (2000-2002, 2004, 2008-2010)
There really shouldn’t be much surprise here. Kobe Bryant is the greatest Laker ever, and most fans would agree.
Nobody else embodied being a Laker the way Kobe Bryant did over 20 seasons with one franchise. His #8 jersey and #24 jersey were both in Lakers lore, and he was the architect behind five NBA championships.
Kobe spent his entire NBA career in Los Angeles and became the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, points (33,643), 3-pointers, steals, and free throws.
He won MVP in 2008 and Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010. He made 18 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA teams, and 12 All-Defensive teams.
And then there are the moments we cannot forget. The 81-point game. The 62 points in three quarters against Dallas. The 2009 and 2010 championships.
The seven Finals appearances and, of course, the 60-point farewell.
Kobe’s 2005-06 season remains one of the greatest individual scoring seasons in Lakers history. He averaged 35.4 points per game, finished second in MVP voting, and then scored 81 against Toronto, the third-highest single-game scoring performance in NBA history.
But Kobe’s legacy isn’t only about scoring. He brought a winning mentality and sublime individual attributes that only Michael Jordan can rival.
When the Lakers retired both No. 8 and No. 24 in 2017, they were acknowledging that Kobe had effectively represented two different superstar careers under the same roof. The franchise eventually unveiled his statue outside Crypto.com Arena, depicting the No. 8 version of Bryant after his 81-point performance.
No doubt, as dominant as Shaq and Kareem were, and how iconic Magic was, there was only one Kobe Bryant.
