The Los Angeles Lakers, including their time as the Minneapolis Lakers, have played in an NBA-record 31 Finals. Who are their 25 best players?
Mikan. Baylor. The Logo. Wilt. Kareem. Magic. Shaq. Kobe.
For just about its entire existence, the Los Angeles Lakers franchise has been home to some of the game’s biggest legends.
It’s almost hard to believe that it all started with a team in the old National Basketball League that went 4-40 in its first—and only—season.
That would be the long-forgotten Detroit Gems, who played the 1946-47 season before owner Maury Winston got $15,000 from Minnesotans Ben Berger and Morris Chaffen, who moved the franchise to Minneapolis and renamed it the Lakers.
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They won the NBL title in 1947-48, playing most of their home games at the Minneapolis Auditorium, and jumped to its upstart rival, the Basketball Association of America the following season, winning five titles in six seasons in what became the NBA after the BAA and NBL merged in 1949.
After the retirement of George Mikan, the Lakers fell on some rough times and were sold to Minneapolis businessman Bob Short in 1957.
Three years later, Short—frustrated by low attendance in the Twin Cities—decided to do some California dreaming and moved the Lakers to Los Angeles in 1960, playing in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
Canadian media magnate Jack Kent Cooke bought the team from Short in 1965 and moved the team to The Forum in Inglewood, near the Los Angeles International Airport, where it remained for more than three decades.
Cooke owned the Lakers until 1979, selling them to Los Angeles real estate mogul (and chemist) Dr. Jerry Buss.
The Lakers moved to Staples Center in 1999, where they remain. When Buss died in 2013, ownership of the franchise transferred to his six children, with son Jim Buss assuming a managerial role and daughter Jeanie Buss representing the team on the NBA Board of Governors.
Since moving to Los Angeles, the Lakers have added 11 more championships to their total. The 16 championships are second in NBA history to only the 17 of the Boston Celtics.
But no team has been in the NBA Finals more often than the Lakers, an astonishing 31 times in 68 seasons since jumping to the BAA.
Of course, the Lakers have made the playoffs 60 times in 68 seasons, including 17 consecutive years from 1977-93, 16 straight times from 1959-74 and 10 years in a row from 1995-2004.
The last three years the team has missed the playoffs is the longest such stretch in franchise history, surpassing a two-year drought in 1975 and 1976.
Since moving to the BAA, the Lakers are 3,235-2,134, a .603 winning percentage that remains the best among the 30 active franchises despite just a 65-181 mark during the past three seasons.
They have 11 60-win seasons, topped by a then-record 69-13 mark in 1971-72, an NBA record that stood for nearly a quarter-century before it was broken by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
That year’s team still holds the NBA record with a streak of 33 straight victories.
The Lakers were also 67-15 in 1999-2000 and 65-17 in 1986-87 and 2008-09.
The last two seasons marked the first time in franchise history the Lakers lost 60 games, going 21-61 in 2014-15 and a franchise-worst 17-65 in 2015-16.
There have been but 10 general managers in the team’s 67 years in the NBA, with Jerry West holding the job from June 1982 through August 2000 and Mitch Kupchak on the job since succeeding West.
Lou Mohs had the job from July 1960-April 1967, Bill Sharman served in the position from September 1976-June 1982 and Fred Schaus was GM from April 1967-May 1972.
West in 1994-95 is the only NBA Executive of the Year winner in franchise history, however.
The franchise has had 25 coaches, with six of them winning at least 200 regular-season games.
Phil Jackson was 610-292 from 1999-2004 and 2005-11, going 118-63 in the playoffs and winning five titles.
Pat Riley went 533-194 from 1981-90 with a 102-47 postseason mark highlighted by four championships.
John Kundla was the team’s first coach and amassed a record of 423-302 from 1948-57 and 1958-59—briefly replaced in 1957-58—and was 52-33 in the playoffs while winning five championships.
Blue Man Hoop
Schaus was 315-245 from 1960-67 (33-38 in the postseason), Sharman went 246-164 and 22-15 from 1971-76—winning a title in 1972 and Del Harris was 224-116 from 1994-99, but just 17-19 in the playoffs.
The team’s 26th coach, former Laker Luke Walton, was hired April 29 and assumed his duties after his former team, the Golden State Warriors, was eliminated from the NBA Finals.
Three Laker coaches have been named Coach of the Year: Sharman in 1971-72, Riley in 1989-90 and Harris in 1994-95.
The franchise has selected first overall in the draft just three times, taking Elgin Baylor of Seattle in 1958, Michigan State’s Magic Johnson in 1979 and James Worthy of North Carolina in 1982.
The Lakers have picked second four times—including 2016, third three times and fifth once. They have never had the No. 4 pick.
Here are the 25 best players in the history of the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers. Players had to have appeared in 150 games and averaged a minimum of 20 minutes per game for the team to qualify for this list.
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Norm Nixon was a solid scorer for an under-the-radar school, averaging 22 points a game as a senior at Duquesne. The Los Angeles Lakers took Nixon with the 22nd overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft and immediately installed him as the starting point guard.
Nixon was an All-Rookie selection in 1977-78 and an All-Star in 1982, helping the Lakers to a pair of titles in 1980 and 1982.
He led the NBA in minutes per game in 1979-80, finished second in assists in 1980-81 and in steals in 1978-79 and placed third in assists in 1978-79, fourth in 1977-78 and 1979-80 and fifth in 1981-82.
Nixon averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 42.3 minutes per game, shooting .435/0-for-1/.760 as Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the 1980 NBA Finals.
He put up 17.7 points, 10 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 39.3 minutes per game, shooting .441/0-for-1/.727 in another six-game triumph over the 76ers in the 1982 NBA Finals.
Nixon then averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 36.7 minutes per game, shooting .405/0-for-2/7-for-11 as the Lakers were swept by the Sixers in the 1983 Finals.
In October 1983, he was traded with Eddie Jordan and second-round picks in 1986 and 1987 to the San Diego Clippers for Swen Nater and the rights to fourth-overall pick Byron Scott.
In six seasons in Los Angeles, Nixon averaged 16.4 points, 7.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 36.8 minutes per game, shooting .500/.133/.770.
With the Clippers, who moved to Los Angeles in 1984, Nixon was an All-Star in 1985, but a torn ACL kept him out the entire 1986-87 season and he missed all of the following year with an Achilles tear. He retired in June 1989, but briefly came back in Italy later that year.
He is 27th in NBA history with 6,386 assists and 11th with an average of 8.3 assists per game.
Next: A Pioneering NBA European
The Los Angeles Lakers were a trail blazer of sorts in the 1989 NBA Draft, when they selected young center Vlade Divac from Partizan in Yugoslavia … and actually signed him to a contract.
That wasn’t something a lot of European players were doing at the time, but Divac came over to the NBA and was a solid big man for a long time.
He was an All-Rookie selection in 1989-90 and was fifth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1990-91, when he helped the Lakers to the NBA Finals.
Divac averaged 18.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, two assists and 1.8 steals in 41.6 minutes per game, shooting .565/0-for-2/13-for-13 in the five-game loss to the Chicago Bulls.
In July 1996, Divac was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the rights to 13th overall pick Kobe Bryant.
He came back to L.A. as a free agent in July 2004 and retired after he was waived in October 2005.
In eight seasons in Los Angeles, Divac averaged 12.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 29 minutes per game, shooting .509/.229/.707.
In January 1999, Divac signed as a free agent with the Sacramento Kings, where he was an All-Star in 2001.
He is 46th in NBA history with 9,326 rebounds and 29th with 1,631 blocked shots.
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A.C. Green was an All-American at Oregon State, averaging more than 19 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior. The Los Angeles Lakers used the 23rd overall pick near the end of the first round to take the power forward.
A reserve as a rookie, Green went on to be named All-Defensive in 1988-89 and was an All-Star in 1990 and after missing three games in his second season didn’t miss another one for the rest of his career.
He was part of championship teams in 1987 and 1988 and played in four NBA Finals for the Lakers before he signed with the
as an unrestricted free agent in September 1993.
Green returned to the Lakers in a September 1999 trade, acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Sean Rooks and a second-round pick in 2000.
He earned a third ring with the Lakers in 2000 before signing with the Miami Heat as a free agent in October 2000.
In five NBA Finals for the Lakers, Green averaged 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game, shooting .478/2-for-6/.705.
In nine seasons in Los Angeles, Green averaged 10.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 29.2 minutes per game, shooting .503/.245/.747.
Green was traded to the Mavericks in December 1996 and retired in 2001.
Besides holding the NBA’s all-time record for playing in 1,192 consecutive games, Green is 25th in NBA history with 1,278 games and 43rd with 9,473 rebounds.
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The Los Angeles Lakers added a frontcourt presence in August 1990 when they signed Sam Perkins as an unrestricted free agent.
The left-hander helped the Lakers to the Finals in his first season with the club before he was dealt to the Seattle SuperSonics in February 1993 in exchange for Benoit Benjamin and the rights to Doug Christie, the 17th overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Perkins averaged 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and an assist in 41.2 minutes per game, shooting .406/5-for-13/.759 in the five-game loss to the
in the 1991 NBA Finals.
In parts of three seasons in Los Angeles, Perkins averaged 14.6 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block in 34.7 minutes per game, shooting .468/.235/.821.
He was the fourth overall pick out of North Carolina by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1984 NBA Draft and was an All-Rookie selection in 1984-85.
After helping the Sonics to the Finals in 1996, Perkins signed as a free agent with the Indiana Pacers in January 1999 and was with Indiana’s 2000 NBA Finals squad that lost to the Lakers. He retired after being waived in September 2001.
He is 22nd in NBA history with 1,286 games.
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The Los Angeles Lakers added a former Rookie of the Year and All-Star to the mix when they signed veteran free agent Jamaal Wilkes in July 1977, giving up a first-round pick in 1978 as well as cash to the Golden State Warriors as compensation.
The Lakers never complained about what they gave up, as Wilkes was a two-time All-Star in L.A. and helped the club to four NBA Finals and two titles.
He averaged 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 42 minutes per game, shooting .467/—/14-for-17 in a six-game triumph over the
in the 1980 NBA Finals.
Against the 76ers again in 1982, Wilkes averaged 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 39 minutes per game, shooting .435/—/.750 in another six-game win.
He put up 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, two steals, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks in 39.3 minutes per game, shooting .461/0-for-1/4-for-7 in a four-game sweep at the hands of Philadelphia in the 1983 NBA Finals.
As a reserve against the Boston Celtics in 1984, Wilkes averaged 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game, shooting .448/—/6-for-8 in a seven-game loss.
He did not play in the 1985 playoffs because of an injury and was waived in August 1985.
In eight seasons in Los Angeles, Wilkes averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.5 minutes per game, shooting .516/.122/.754.
Wilkes was the 11th overall pick out of UCLA by the Warriors in the 1974 NBA Draft, earning Rookie of the Year honors while helping Golden State to the NBA title in 1974-75. He was also an All-Star in 1976 and a two-time All-Defensive selection with the Warriors.
In September 1985, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, retiring after being waived in December of the same year.
Wilkes was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
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Happy Hairston was not a star in the NBA, but he brought a tough work ethic to the Los Angeles Lakers after he was acquired from the Detroit Pistons in November 1969 in exchange for Bill Hewitt and a third-round pick in 1970.
Hairston was fifth in the NBA in rebounding in 1973-74 and helped the Lakers to three NBA Finals and a championship in 1972.
Nicked up in the 1970 NBA Finals, Hairston played in only six games, averaging 6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.5 minutes per game, shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 7-for-11 from the line in the seven-game loss to the
.
Healthy and starting in 1972, he averaged 14.2 points, 14.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 40.2 minutes per game, shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 77.3 percent at the line as the Lakers won their first championship since moving to L.A. in five games over the Knicks.
Hairston missed much of the 1972-73 season with an injury, but returned to play two games in the NBA Finals against New York, scoring six points with four rebounds in 22 minutes of the five-game loss.
He retired after being waived in October 1975.
In parts of six seasons in Los Angeles, Hairston averaged 15.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 34.7 minutes per game, shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 78.5 percent at the line.
Hairston was a fourth-round pick out of New York University by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1964 NBA Draft and was traded to the Pistons in February 1968.
He is 36th in NBA history with an average of 10.3 rebounds per game.
He died from complications stemming from inoperable prostate cancer on May, 1, 2001, in Los Angeles at the age of 58.
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The Los Angeles Lakers got back a really good piece when they parted ways with Shaquille O’Neal in July 2004, acquiring Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, a first-round pick in 2006 and a second-round selection in 2007 from the Miami Heat.
Odom brought his versatile game to the Lakers, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2010-11 and helping L.A. to three straight NBA Finals, including titles in 2009 and 2010.
He was a starter in the 2008 NBA Finals, averaging 13.5 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block in 36.7 minutes per game, shooting .517/1-for-5/.643 in a six-game loss to the
.
Odom came off the bench the following year, averaging 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, a steal and a block in 33.8 minutes per game and shooting .542/4-for-8/11-for-16 in a five-game victory over the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals.
He put up 7.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.4 minutes per game off the bench, shooting .489/1-for-10/6-for-11 in a seven-game victory over the Celtics in 2010.
In December 2011, Odom was traded with a second-round pick in 2012 to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a future first-round pick (conveyed in 2014) and a trade exception.
In seven seasons in Los Angeles, Odom averaged 13.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 35.1 minutes per game, shooting .491/.330/.683.
He was the fourth overall pick out of Rhode Island by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1999 NBA Draft and was an All-Rookie selection in 1999-2000. He signed with the Heat as a free agent in August 2003.
In June 2012, Odom was traded to the Clippers as part of a four-team deal. Unsigned as a free agent in the summer of 2013, he played in Italy in 2014 before signing a deal with the New York Knicks in April 2014.
He was waived in July 2014 having never played a game for the Knicks and remains unsigned, but has not submitted retirement papers.
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Gail Goodrich was an All-America as a senior, helping UCLA to a national title while averaging almost 25 points and more than five rebounds per game. The Los Angeles Lakers used a territorial draft pick to take the left-handed combo guard in the 1965 NBA Draft.
Goodrich spent three seasons as a reserve, helping the Lakers to a pair of NBA Finals.
He averaged 13.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game, shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 69.2 percent at the line in a seven-game loss to the
in the 1966 NBA Finals.
In 1968, Goodrich played in only five games, averaging 5.2 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game, going 9-for-18 from the floor and 8-for-11 at the line as the Lakers lost to Boston in six games.
He was exposed to the expansion draft and selected by the Phoenix Suns in May 1968.
An All-Star in 1969 with the Suns, Los Angeles got him back in a May 1970 trade with the Suns in exchange for Mel Counts.
Back with Los Angeles, Goodrich was a four-time All-Star and an All-NBA selection in 1973-74, finishing fourth in the NBA in scoring in 1973-74 and fifth in 1971-72 and finishing third in free-throw shooting in 1971-72, as well.
The Lakers made two more Finals appearances during Goodrich’s second stint, winning a title in 1972.
In the 1972 NBA Finals, Goodrich averaged 25.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 39.6 minutes per game, shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 87.8 percent at the foul line as the Lakers beat the New York Knicks in five games.
The following year, he put up 21.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and three assists in 37.4 minutes per game, shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 75.8 percent at the line in a five-game loss to the Knicks.
Goodrich left the Lakers for the final time in July 1976 to sign with the New Orleans Jazz as a veteran free agent, with the Jazz surrendering first-round picks in 1977 and 1979 and a second-round selection in 1980 as compensation.
In nine seasons in Los Angeles, Goodrich averaged 19 points, 4.2 assists, three rebounds and 1.5 steals in 31.7 minutes per game, shooting 46 percent from the floor and 81.7 percent at the line.
Goodrich retired in June 1979.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.
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Slater Martin had averaged 16 points a game as a senior at Texas but went unselected in the 1949 BAA Draft. The Minneapolis Lakers took a shot at the 5-foor-10 point guard and what a shot it was.
Martin was a four-time All-Star for the Lakers as well as a two-time All-NBA selection while helping Minneapolis to four NBA titles.
He was third in the NBA in assists in 1955-56 and fifth in 1954-55, while also finishing second in minutes per game in 1955-56.
Martin averaged 4.3 points per game while helping the Lakers past the Syracuse Nationals in six games in the 1950 NBA Finals. He averaged 9.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 64.5 percent at the line in a seven-game triumph over the New York Knicks in 1952.
Martin put up 10.2 points per game and shot 51.4 percent from the floor and 68.4 percent at the line in a five-game win over the Knicks in 1953 and averaged 8.7 points on 39.6 percent shooting from the field and 62.2 percent accuracy at the line in a seven-game victory over Syracuse in 1954.
He was traded with Phil Jordon and Jerry Bird to the Knicks in October 1956 in exchange for Walter Dukes and the rights to Burdette Haldorson.
In seven seasons in Minneapolis, Martin averaged 9.9 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 37.6 minutes per game, shooting 37.6 percent from the floor at 76.1 percent at the foul line.
Martin’s stint with the Knicks was short—he was traded to the St. Louis Hawks in December 1956.
He went to three more All-Star games with St. Louis and was a three-time All-NBA selection while helping the Hawks to the NBA title in 1958 and serving a stint as a player-interim coach in 1957, going 5-3.
Martin retired in June 1960 and was the first coach of the Houston Mavericks in the ABA, going 32-58 in the regular season and 0-3 in the playoffs over parts of two seasons from 1968-69.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982, Martin is 45th in NBA history with an average of 35.9 minutes per game.
He died in Houston on Oct. 18, 2012, four days shy of his 87th birthday.
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Andrew Bynum, a McDonald’s All-American from Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen, N.J., opted to back out of a commitment to the University of Connecticut to enter the 2005 NBA Draft at the age of 17.
The Los Angeles Lakers took a flyer on the 7-foot center with the 10th overall pick.
Bynum battled injuries throughout his tenure with the Lakers, but was an All-Star in 2012 and an All-NBA selection in 2011-12, a season in which he was third in the league in rebounding and fourth in field-goal percentage. He was fifth in field-goal percentage in 2009-10, as well.
He was injured and did not play in the 2008 NBA Finals when the Lakers lost in six games to the Boston Celtics.
As a starter in the 2009 NBA Finals, Bynum averaged six points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game, shooting .364/—/6-for-9 in a five-game victory over the Orlando Magic.
Bynum put up 7.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game, shooting .452/—/.700 as the Lakers beat Boston in seven games in the 2010 NBA Finals.
In August 2012, he was part of a blockbuster four-team trade, sent to the Philadelphia 76ers, with Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga and a first-round pick in 2017 going to the Magic.
The Lakers got back Dwight Howard, Earl Clark and Chris Duhon from Orlando, with the Denver Nuggets also involved in the trade.
In seven seasons in Los Angeles, Bynum averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 assists in 26 minutes per game, shooting .566/1-for-9/.687.
Bynum missed the entire 2012-13 season with the 76ers before signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2013.
In January 2014, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls, who waived him the following day. Bynum signed with the Indiana Pacers in February 2014.
A free agent since the summer of 2014, Bynum remains unsigned.
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Michael Cooper averaged more than 16 points and nearly six rebounds per game as a senior at New Mexico and the Los Angeles Lakers took a chance on the rain-thin shooting guard in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft.
What they got was a key reserve during the Showtime era; Cooper was the prototype for the 3-and-D wing player so popular today.
Cooper was the Defensive Player of the Year—the only reserve ever to win the award—in 1986-87 and was an eight-time All-Defensive selection with the Lakers.
He also finished second in the NBA in 3-pointers in 1983-84 and 1986-87 and was fourth in 3-point shooting in 1983-84 while helping the Lakers to five NBA titles and eight NBA Finals.
In those eight NBA Finals, Cooper played in 46 games, averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 30.6 minutes per game, shooting .447/.380/.806.
He was waived by the Lakers in August 1990.
In 12 seasons in Los Angeles, Cooper averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 27.1 minutes per game, shooting .469/.340/.833.
Cooper played a season in Italy before retiring in 1991.
The coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream since 2014, Cooper was also a Laker assistant from 1994-97, head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA from 2000-04 and 2007-09, interim coach of the Denver Nuggets from 2004-05, coached in the D-League from 2005-07 and was head women’s coach at USC from 2009-13.
He was 4-10 in his stint with the Nuggets bridging the firing of Jeff Bzdelik and the hiring of George Karl.
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After averaging more than 19 points and nearly seven rebounds per game as a junior at Temple, Eddie Jones opted to turn pro and the Los Angeles Lakers were there to take him with the 10th overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft.
Jones was an All-Rookie selection in 1994-95. He was also a two-time All-Star and an All-Defensive selection in 1997-98.
He finished fourth in the NBA in steals in 1996-97.
Jones was traded with Elden Campbell to the Charlotte Hornets in March 1999 in exchange for Glen Rice, J.R. Reid and B.J. Armstrong.
In parts of five seasons in Los Angeles, Jones averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, three assists and 2.1 steals in 34.4 minutes per game, shooting .463/.378/.769.
Jones was an All-Star in 2000, an All-NBA selection in 1999-2000 and a two-time All-Defensive pick with the Hornets, also leading the NBA in steals in 1999-2000, before being traded to the Miami Heat in August 2000.
In August 2005, Jones was part of a massive five-team deal, sent to the Memphis Grizzlies. Waived in January 2007, he signed with Miami in February 2007.
Jones signed with the Dallas Mavericks in August 2007 and retired after being waived following a trade to the Indiana Pacers in October 2008.
He is 22nd in NBA history with 1,546 3-pointers, 28th with 1,620 steals and 45th with an average of 1.7 steals per game.
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The Minneapolis Lakers were just being formed out of the ashes of the old Detroit Gems when they signed former Stanford standout Jim Pollard in June 1947.
Pollard played just one year of college ball before joining the Coast Guard during World War II and by the time the Lakers reached the Basketball Association of America in 1948, he was already 26.
He was a four-time All-Star and a four-time All-BAA/NBA selection, finishing fourth in the BAA in field-goal percentage in 1948-49.
Pollard was part of all five of Minneapolis’ championship teams in the late 1940s and early 1950s, as well.
In five NBA Finals appearances, Pollard played in 29 games and averaged 13.4 points per game. Other stats for those series were incomplete.
He retired in June 1955.
In seven seasons in Minneapolis after the move to the BAA, Pollard averaged 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 35.4 minutes per game, shooting 36 percent from the floor and 75 percent at the line.
He retired to coach collegiately at La Salle, going 48-28 in three seasons from 1955-58.
Pollard later coached the Lakers in 1960, going 14-25 and 5-4 in the playoffs. The first coach of the expansion Chicago Packers, Pollard was 18-62 in 1961-62 before he was fired after one season.
In the American Basketball Association, he coached the Minnesota Muskies/Miami Floridians to a 98-78 mark from 1967-69 and was also the team’s general manager from 1968-69.
Pollard was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and died Jan. 22, 1993, in Stockton, Calif., at the age of 70.
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Clyde Lovellette had earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four while leading Kansas to a national championship, averaging almost 29 points per game as a senior.
The Minneapolis Lakers took the three-time All-American with the ninth overall pick in the 1952 NBA Draft.
Lovellette didn’t sign with the Lakers until October 1953, but was a two-time All-Star and an All-NBA selection in 1955-56 for Minneapolis, finishing fourth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1953-54, fifth in scoring in 1954-55, third in rebounding and fourth in scoring in 1955-56 and fifth in rebounding in 1956-57.
In the 1954 NBA Finals, he averaged 10.4 points per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 50 percent at the line as the Lakers beat the Syracuse Nationals in seven games to win their third straight NBA title.
He was traded with Jim Paxson in April 1957 to the Rochester Royals in exchange for Hot Rod Hundley, Monk Meineke, Bob Burrow, Ed Fleming and Art Spoelstra.
In four seasons in Minneapolis, Lovellette averaged 17.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.6 minutes per game, shooting 43 percent from the field and 70.7 percent at the foul line.
Lovellette was traded to the St. Louis Hawks in August 1958, earning two more All-Star nods, and had his contract sold to the Boston Celtics in June 1962, winning two more NBA titles before retiring in July 1964.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
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James Worthy led North Carolina to a national title, earning All-America honors and Final Four Most Outstanding Player plaudits before turning pro after a junior season during which he averaged almost 16 points and more than six rebounds per game.
The Los Angeles Lakers, owners of the first overall pick thanks to an obscure trade two years earlier, selected Worthy and he was indeed worthy of the pick.
He was an All-Rookie selection in 1982-83 and went on to become a seven-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA performer for the Lakers, earning NBA Finals MVP honors in 1988.
Worthy was fourth in the league in field-goal percentage in 1985-86 and fifth in 1988-89 and finished fourth in minutes per game in 1991-92.
Worthy played in six NBA Finals and was part of three title teams in Los Angeles.
In those six Finals, Worthy averaged 22.2 points, five rebounds and 3.3 assists in 39.6 minutes per game, shooting .533/3-for-15/.687.
In 1988, when he was named Finals MVP in a seven-game win over the Detroit Pistons, Worthy averaged 22 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 38 minutes per game on .492/0-for-2/.735 shooting.
He retired in November 1994.
In 12 seasons in Los Angeles, Worthy averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, three assists and 1.1 steals in 32.4 minutes per game, shooting .521/.241/.769.
Worthy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
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The Los Angeles Lakers were hoping former Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol would be the missing piece to a title run when they acquired him from the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2008 along with a second-round pick in 2010 in exchange for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the rights to 2007 second-round pick Marc Gasol (Pau’s younger brother) and first-round selections in 2008 and 2010.
Gasol did help bring the Lakers two titles, but they just came a bit later.
He was a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection with the Lakers, finishing fifth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 2008-09.
Gasol was also part of three straight NBA Finals entries for L.A.
In the 2008 Finals, he averaged 14.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 39 minutes per game, shooting .532/—/.647 in a six-game loss to the Boston Celtics.
As the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic in five games in the 2009 NBA Finals, Gasol averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocks in 42.5 minutes per game on .600/—/.778 shooting.
In 2010, he put up 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 blocks in 41.9 minutes per game, shooting .478/0-for-2/.721 as L.A. repeated as champs with a seven-game win over the Celtics.
Gasol left to sign with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent in July 2014.
In parts of seven seasons in Los Angeles, Gasol averaged 17.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks in 35.7 minutes per game, shooting .522/.263/.780.
Gasol was the third overall pick out of FC Barcelona in Spain by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001 NBA Draft and was traded on draft night to the Vancouver Grizzlies, who moved to Memphis shortly thereafter.
He was the Rookie of the Year in 2001-02 and an All-Star in 2006 for the Grizzlies.
With Chicago, Gasol was an All-Star in 2015 and 2016 and an All-NBA selection in 2014-15.
Gasol signed a two-year, $31 million free-agent deal on July 14, 2016, with the San Antonio Spurs that includes a player option for 2017-18.
He is 50th in NBA history with 37,202 minutes, 38th with 10,048 rebounds, 23rd with 1,777 blocked shots, 49th with 19,209 points and 41st with an average of 1.7 blocks per game.
Next: Physical Forward Was Mikan’s Sidekick
Vern Mikkelsen averaged more than 17 points a game as a senior at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., leading the team to an NAIA national championship. The Minneapolis Lakers used their territorial draft pick to take the 6-foot-7 power forward in the 1949 Basketball Association of America draft.
He was a six-time All-Star and a four-time All-NBA selection with the Lakers, helping them to four NBA titles.
Mikkelsen finished fifth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1951-52 and 1952-53.
He averaged 12.5 points per game in a six-game win over the Syracuse Nationals in the 1950 NBA Finals and put up 13.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and an assist per game on 48 percent shooting from the floor and 83.3 percent accuracy at the line as Minneapolis topped the New York Knicks in seven games in 1952.
Mikkelsen averaged 12.2 points, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 95 percent at the line in a five game win over the Knicks in 1953 and put up 10.4 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting and hitting 13-of-16 at the foul line as the Lakers beat Syracuse in seven games in 1954.
He retired in August 1959.
In 10 seasons in Minneapolis, Mikkelsen averaged 14.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 32.5 minutes per game, shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 76.6 percent at the line.
Mikkelsen was general manager of the ABA’s Minnesota Pipers in 1968-69 and served 12 games as interim coach, going 6-6.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, Mikkelsen died Nov. 21, 2013, at his home in Wayzata, Minn., at the age of 85.
Next: The Big Dipper Scored Less, Won More In L.A.
Wilt Chamberlain had his elusive NBA championship ring by the time he was acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers from the Philadelphia 76ers in July 1968 in exchange for Archie Clark, Darrall Imhoff and Jerry Chambers.
By scoring less and defending and rebounding more, Chamberlain got himself another one with the Lakers.
He was a four-time All-Star in L.A., was an All-NBA selection in 1971-72, a two-time All-Defensive pick and was named the MVP of the 1972 NBA Finals.
He also finished third in the NBA MVP voting in 1971-72 and fourth in 1972-73.
Chamberlain led the NBA in rebounding in 1968-69, 1970-71, 1971-72 and 1972-73, in field-goal percentage in 1968-69, 1971-72 and 1972-73 and in minutes per game in 1968-69.
He also helped the Lakers to four NBA Finals and a title in 1972.
Chamberlain averaged 11.7 points, 25 rebounds and three assists in 47.3 minutes per game in the 1969 NBA Finals, his last battle with Bill Russell, shooting 50 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent at the line in a seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics.
After missing most of the 1969-70 season with a knee injury, he returned for the playoffs and averaged 23.3 points, 24.1 rebounds and four assists in 47.6 minutes per game, shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 34.3 percent at the foul line as the Lakers fell to the New York Knicks in seven games in the 1970 NBA Finals.
Chamberlain was the MVP of the 1972 Finals, averaging 19.4 points, 23.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 47.2 minutes per game, shooting 60 percent from the field and 54.3 percent at the line in a five-game win over the Knicks.
In the 1973 NBA Finals, he averaged 11.6 points, 18.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 48 minutes per game (yes, 48 minutes per game), shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent at the foul line in a series won by New York in five games.
Chamberlain left the Lakers to sign with the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors in September 1973.
In five seasons in Los Angeles, Chamberlain averaged 17.7 points, 19.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 43.7 minutes per game, shooting 60.5 percent from the floor and 47.5 percent at the line.
A territorial selection out of Kansas, via the Harlem Globetrotters, by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959 NBA Draft, Chamberlain was the Rookie of the Year and NBA MVP in 1959-60 and was a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA performer for the Warriors in both Philadelphia and San Francisco.
He led the league in scoring five times with the Warriors and topped the NBA in rebounding four times.
Traded to the 76ers in January 1965, Chamberlain was a three-time MVP , three-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA pick with Philadelphia, leading the NBA in scoring twice and in rebounding three times while helping the 76ers to the title in 1967.
The Lakers filed suit against the ABA and its San Diego franchise and successfully blocked Chamberlain from playing in 1973-74.
Instead, he coached the Conquistatadors—sort of, leaning heavily on assistant Stan Albeck—to a 37-47 regular-season mark and was 2-4 in the playoffs before retiring in 1974.
Chamberlain is the NBA’s all-time leader with 23,924 rebounds and averages of 45.8 minutes and 22.9 rebounds per game and is seventh in league history with 47,859 minutes played, fifth with 31,419 points, 26th with a field-goal percentage of .540 and second with an average of 30.1 points per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Chamberlain died in Bel Air, Calif., from congestive heart failure on Oct. 12, 1999, at the age of 63.
Next: Mr. Basketball The First In Long Line Of Great Laker Centers
The Minneapolis Lakers got the luckiest ticket of all when the Professional Basketball League of America folded a month into its inaugural season, being awarded George Mikan as the players from the failed league were allocated to the other clubs in the National Basketball League.
Mikan led the Lakers to the NBL title in 1948 and the team moved to the Basketball Association of America for the 1948-49 season, but the winning didn’t stop. Minneapolis won five titles in its first six seasons in the league.
He was a four-time All-Star—including MVP of the 1953 All-Star Game—and a six-time All-BAA/NBA performer.
Mikan led the BAA/NBA in scoring three times and in rebounding twice.
He averaged 23.9 points per game in 31 NBA Finals games, leading the Lakers to two straight titles in 1949 and 1950 and three in a row from 1952-54.
He retired in September 1954 and was named GM of the Lakers in October of the same year.
But he returned from retirement in January 1956 before retiring once again after the season closed.
In seven seasons in Minneapolis in the BAA and NBA, Mikan averaged 23.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 34.4 minutes per game, shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and 78.2 percent at the line.
Throw in the fact the lane was widened to reduce his dominant play inside—the same adjustment was made because of Wilt Chamberlain later—and Mikan’s impact was significant.
An All-American at DePaul, Mikan signed with the NBL’s Chicago American Gears in March 1946 and remained with the team when it jumped to the PBLA in 1947.
He stepped down as GM to coach the Lakers, switching positions with John Kundla, put was fired after a 9-30 start in 1957-58.
He is 22nd in NBA history with an average of 23.1 points per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame with its first class in 1959, Mikan was later the first commissioner of the rival ABA and was named to the NBA’s All-Time teams selected in 1971, 1981 and 1996 and was named the greatest player of the first half-century in 1950.
Mikan died in Scottsdale, Ariz., on June 1, 2005, following a long fight with diabetes and kidney disease. He was 80 years old.
Next: Mr. Inside The First Dominant Small Forward
The NBA’s first dynasty, the Minneapolis Lakers had fallen on hard times by the time they earned the first overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft.
They used it to take two-time All-American Elgin Baylor, who earned Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors as a senior in a losing effort for Seattle.
Baylor’s arrival helped the Lakers return to prominence much more quickly, particularly after their move to
in 1960.
He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1958-59, an 11-time All-Star—including being named MVP of the 1959 All-Star Game—and a 10-time All-NBA selection. He also finished second in the NBA MVP voting in 1962-63, was third three times, fourth once and fifth twice.
Baylor finished in the top five in scoring eight times and in rebounding four times, placing third in free-throw shooting in 1962-63.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals eight times during Baylor’s career—losing each of them. He did not play in the 1965 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics because of a knee injury.
In seven Finals series, Baylor played in 44 games, averaging 26.4 points and 13.7 rebounds in 42 minutes per game.
His knee continued to be a problem until finally—in November 1971—he retired. It was early in the same season the Lakers won their first title in L.A.
In 14 seasons in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, Baylor averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 40 minutes per game, shooting 43.1 percent from the floor and 78 percent at the line.
In retirement, he was an assistant and later head coach of the New Orleans Jazz, posting a record of 86-135 in parts of four seasons.
That preceded a run of more than 22 years as general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers, a post he held from April 1986 until October 2008, earning NBA Executive of the Year honors in 2005-06.
Baylor is 25th in NBA history with 11,463 rebounds, 28th with 23,149 points, fifth with an average of 40.0 minutes per game, fourth with an average of 27.4 points per game and ninth with an average of 13.5 rebounds per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977, Baylor was named to NBA all-time teams in both 1981 and 1996.
Next: Man Of Many Nicknames Known Best As The Logo
Jerry West did it all at West Virginia—three-time All-American, Final Four Most Outstanding Player, pretty much everything but a national title. After averaging more than 29 points, 16 rebounds and four assists a game as a senior, West was taken second overall in the 1960 NBA Draft by the Minneapolis Lakers.
The Lakers moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, where West did it all … and then some.
West was a 14-time All-Star (in a 14-year career), a 12-time All-NBA selection and a five-time All-Defensive pick, also earning NBA Finals MVP honors in a losing effort in 1969 (the only player to ever do so) and was named MVP of the 1972 All-Star Game.
He was in the top five in the MVP voting eight times, including four second-place finishes.
West led the NBA in scoring in 1969-70 and in assists in 1971-72 and was a top-five finisher in the scoring race six times and in assists five different seasons. He also finished fourth in field-goal percentage in 1964-65 and 1967-68 and was in the top five in free-throw shooting four times.
In 55 games over nine NBA Finals, West averaged 30.5 points, 5.6 assists and five rebounds in 43.2 minutes per game, shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 82.6 percent at the line.
While earning Finals MVP honors in a seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics in 1969, he averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 43.9 minutes per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 83.9 percent at the foul line.
He retired in October 1974.
In 14 seasons in Los Angeles, West averaged 27 points, 6.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 39.2 minutes per game, shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 81.4 percent at the line.
West later coached the Lakers from 1976-79, going 145-101 in the regular season and 8-14 in the playoffs.
As general manager of the Lakers from June 1982 to August 2000, West was named Executive of the Year in 1994-95. He later served as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies from April 2002 to June 2007, earning a second Executive of the Year award in 2003-04.
He is 30th in NBA history with 6,238 assists, 20th with 25,192 points, sixth with averages of 39.2 minutes and 27.0 points per game and 35th with an average of 6.7 assists per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, West was named to NBA all-time teams in 1981 and 1996. He is currently an executive board member for the Golden State Warriors.
Next: The Diesel Delivered A String Of Titles
Shaquille O’Neal, a former Rookie of the Year and a multiple All-Star, was one of the biggest names to change teams in free agency, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 1996.
He brought a larger than life personality to L.A. and after some early trials helped the Lakers to three straight championships to close the 20th century and start the 21st.
He was the NBA MVP in 1999-2000, a seven-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA selection and a three-time All-Defensive pick with the Lakers and was named Finals MVP three straight years from 2000-02. O’Neal was also MVP of the 2000 and 2004 All-Star games.
O’Neal led the NBA in scoring in 1999-2000 and in field-goal percentage six times while helping L.A. to four NBA Finals in all.
He also finished in third in the MVP voting in 2000-01 and 2001-02, fourth in 1997-98 and fifth in 2002-03.
In the 2000 Finals, he averaged 38 points, 16.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 2.3 assists and a steal in 45.5 minutes per game, shooting .611/—/.387 in a six-game victory over the Indiana Pacers.
O’Neal averaged 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 blocks in 45 minutes per game, shooting .573/—/.513 as the Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the 2001 NBA Finals.
He put up 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.8 blocks in 41.5 minutes per game on .595/—/.662 shooting in a four-game sweep of the New Jersey Nets in 2002.
In the 2004 NBA Finals, O’Neal averaged 26.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 42.6 minutes per game, shooting .631/—/.491 as the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games.
He was traded to the Miami Heat in July 2004 in exchange for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, a first-round pick in 2006 and a second-round selection in 2007.
In eight seasons in Los Angeles, O’Neal averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 blocks in 37.6 minutes per game, shooting .575/0-for-9/.533.
O’Neal was the first overall pick out of LSU by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA Draft and was the Rookie of the Year in 1992-93, a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA pick for Orlando, leading the NBA in scoring in 1994-95.
He was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection with the Heat, helping them to an NBA title in 2006.
Traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2008, O’Neal was an All-Star in 2009 and an All-NBA selection in 2008-09.
He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in June 2009 and signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics in August 2010, retiring in June 2011.
O’Neal is 35th in NBA history with 1,207 games, 22nd with 41,918 minutes played, 14th with 13,099 rebounds, eighth with 2,732 blocked shots, seventh with 28,596 points, fourth with a field-goal percentage of .582, 19th with an average of 23.7 points per game, 27th with an average of 10.9 rebounds per game and 15th with an average of 2.3 blocks per game.
Next: Cap Another In Long Line Of Great Lakers Bigs
For the second time in less than a decade, the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the NBA with a blockbuster trade to bring in a superstar center.
In June 1975, the Lakers acquired three-time MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks along with Walt Wesley in exchange for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers.
Abdul-Jabbar was a huge hit in L.A., winning three more MVP awards. He was also a 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection and a seven-time All-Defensive pick with the Lakers, as well as earning Finals MVP honors in 1985.
Kareem led the NBA in rebounding in 1975-76, led the league in blocks three times and in field-goal percentage in 1976-77.
He finished in the top five in scoring four times, in rebounding three times, in blocks seven times and in field-goal percentage 10 times.
The Lakers also won five titles during his run in L.A., playing in the Finals eight times.
In those eight Finals appearances, Abdui-Jabbar played in 45 games and averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game, shooting .515/0-for-1/.696.
While earning Finals MVP honors in a six-game win over the Boston Celtics in the 1985 NBA Finals, the 37-year-old Abdul-Jabbar averaged 25.7 points, nine rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and a steal in 35.5 minutes per game, shooting .604/—/.769.
He officially retired in June 1990, but played his final season in 1988-89.
In 14 seasons in Los Angeles, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game, shooting .567/1-for-18/.737.
He was the first overall pick out of UCLA by the Bucks in the 1969 NBA Draft and was Rookie of the Year in 1969-70, a three-time MVP, a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and a three-time All-Defensive pick for the Bucks, earning Finals MVP honors while leading Milwaukee to its lone NBA title in 1971.
Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA in scoring twice and in blocks once while with the Bucks.
He is the NBA’s all-time leader with 57,446 minutes played and 38,387 points, is second in league history with 1,560 games, third with 17,440 rebounds and 3,189 blocked shots, 40th with 5,660 assists, 13th with a field-goal percentage of .559, 30th with an average of 36.8 minutes per game, 15th with an average of 24.6 points per game, 23rd with an average of 11.2 rebounds per game and eighth with an average of 2.6 blocks per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, Abdul-Jabbar was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
Next: Buck A Revolutionary Point Guard
So how different is NBA history if this line were uttered: “With the first pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select … Magic Johnson, Michigan State”?
We never learned the answer thanks to a free-agent signing three years earlier, when the Jazz—then in New Orleans—signed Gail Goodrich and lost, among other things, their first-round pick in 1979.
Instead, the
took Johnson with the first pick and launched a dynasty.
Johnson was a three-time NBA MVP, a 12-time All-Star, a 10-time All-NBA selection and was a three-time NBA Finals MVP.
Throw in two All-Star Game MVP awards (1990 and 1992), four years leading the NBA in assists, two years leading the league in steals and a year in which he was the NBA’s best free-throw shooter on top of five NBA titles and nine trips to the NBA Finals and you have a legend.
The ebullient Johnson was a perfect fit in glitzy L.A., as well, becoming the face of the Lakers with his broad smile and flashy style of play.
In nine NBA Finals, Johnson averaged 19.4 points, 11.7 assists, 7.9 rebounds and two steals in 40.9 minutes per game, shooting .516/.243/.874.
As MVP of the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson averaged 21.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.7 steals in 42.7 minutes per game on .573/0-for-2/.875 shooting, famously filling in for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center as the Lakers clinched the title with a Game 6 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the 1982 NBA Finals, Johnson averaged 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, eight assists and 2.5 steals in 41.7 minutes per game, shooting .533/0-for-2/.846 in a six-game win over the 76ers, earning Finals MVP honors again.
He won his third Finals MVP award in 1987, averaging 26.2 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and 2.3 steals in 39.3 minutes per game on.541/1-for-2/.960 shooting in a six-game win over the Boston Celtics.
But after learning he had contracted the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in November 1991, Johnson abruptly retired.
He was named head coach of the Lakers at the end of the 1993-94 season, going 5-11, and made a comeback in January 1996, playing 32 games before retiring for good in May of that year.
In parts of 13 seasons in Los Angeles, Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 36.7 minutes per game, shooting .520/.303/.848.
Named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, he is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists per game and is fifth in league history with 10,141 assists, 20th with 1,724 steals, 31st in minutes per game and 19th in steals per game.
Next: Controversial But Enduring, Vino Is No. 1
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired the rights to 13th overall pick Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vlade Divac in July 1996 and the franchise—and the NBA—hasn’t been the same since.
The McDonald’s All-American drafted out of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pa., spent much of his childhood in Europe after his father, former NBA player Joe Bryant, continued his career in Italy and France after eight years in the Association.
Bryant was an All-Rookie selection in 1996-97 and was the NBA MVP in 2007-08.
He was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection and a 12-time All-Defensive pick and was named Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010, as well as earning four All-Star Game MVP awards (one shared with Shaquille O’Neal in 2009).
He led the NBA in scoring in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and has finished in the top five of the MVP voting 11 times.
Bryant was on five championship teams and played in seven NBA Finals with the Lakers. In 37 Finals games, he averaged 25.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals in 42.7 minutes per game, shooting .412/.314/.848.
In the 2009 NBA Finals, Bryant was named MVP while averaging 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in 43.8 minutes per game, shooting .430/.360/.841 in a five-game win over the Orlando Magic.
The following year, Bryant averaged 28.6 points, eight rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 41.2 minutes per game on .405/.319/.883 shooting in a seven-game triumph over the Boston Celtics.
Injuries hampered Bryant in 2013-14 and 2014-15—he was limited to 41 games because of Achilles, knee and shoulder injuries.
He came back to play in 66 games in 2015-16–announcing in late November 2015 this would be his final season. He averaged 17.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 28.2 minutes per game on .358/.285/.826 shooting.
In 20 seasons in Los Angeles, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.1 minutes per game, shooting .447/.329/.837.
Next: NBA: 25 Greatest Scorers of All-Time
Bryant is 11th in NBA history with 1,346 games, sixth with 48,637 minutes played, 11th with 1,827 3-pointers, 29th with 6,306 assists, 14th with 1,944 steals, third with 33,643 points, 41st in minutes per game and 12th in points per game.