Los Angeles Lakers: 5 all-time greatest players not named Kobe Bryant

It’s easy to forget that some of the NBA’s greatest talents played for the Los Angeles Lakers a long time ago. Kobe Bryant isn’t the only superstar to have ever donned the purple and gold.

If you asked most Los Angeles Lakers fans, they’d tell you that Kobe Bryant was the greatest player to ever suit up for the franchise. While you could make an argument for that being the case, the other superstars in team history often go overlooked.

We need to fix that. Why? Because there are way too many ridiculous talents who have worn the purple and gold to have them go unrecognized. All it takes is a quick peak at the rafters of Staples Center to see how many former Lakers there are who deserved to have their numbers retired.

So who are these stars who once shined bright in Hollywood? Some of them may be more familiar than others. In fact, one of them is currently serving as one of the top shotcallers in the Lakers front office. Another served in a similar role back in the 1980s. Yet another has served as an assistant coach in Los Angeles.

Either way, these guys deserve your unrelenting respect. I understand some of the newer generations being unfamiliar with their work as members of the Lakers. Still, if you’re a true fan of the franchise, you need to be aware of all of the greats — not just Kobe.

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With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five greatest Lakers players not name Kobe Bryant. It’s a rather stacked list, so take out your notebook and make sure you know these names before you start bragging about your Lakers fandom.