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.
Elgin Baylor
Career stats with Lakers: 24.7 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 43.1 FG%
Elgin Baylor, the greatest Laker to never win a ring, was an offensive superstar during the 1960s. Combining elite athleticism with spectacular shooting, he was as creative as they come in terms of finding a way to get the ball in the basket.
Playing alongside greats like Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich, Baylor earned the nickname Mr. Inside for his ability to score inside the paint. His signature running bank shot also stole the show on a nightly basis. Even as an undersized forward, Baylor found innovative ways to score over bigger defenders.
As you can tell by the above stats, Baylor also won on the boards despite being only 6’5″ and 225 pounds. His career average of 13.5 rebounds per game was an astonishing figure, even during an era in which players weren’t oversized like they are today.
As mentioned earlier, Baylor is one of the few greats in Lakers history to never win a title. He did take a trip to the NBA Finals on eight separate occasions, but wound up on the losing end every single time — seven times against the Boston Celtics.
No matter how many times he lost in the Finals, Baylor belongs among the top Lakers to ever grace the hardwood.
Jerry West
Career stats with Lakers: 27 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 47.4 FG%
While Baylor was busy owning opponents in the paint, Jerry West the guy making things happen on the perimeter. The starting point guard during the Lakers’ string of Finals appearances in the 1960s and 1970s, West was everything today’s NBA wants in a facilitator.
Not only was he a tremendous passer, but he had no trouble shouldering the scoring burden when his teammates weren’t hitting it. West was one of the pioneers of the combo guard, possessing elite abilities as a passer and scorer. On top of that, his defense was elite as well — just ask the five NBA All-Defensive team honors he received during his career.
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All in all, West was one of the driving forces behind the Lakers’ dominance during that era. Before he retired, he had earned 14 All-Star and 10 All-NBA First Team selections. Here’s the most impressive award in his name, though: West is the only player in NBA history to win Finals MVP as a member of the losing team.
Unlike Baylor, West stuck around just long enough to earn that elusive ring. In 1972, he helped the Lakers win a title after losing in their previous eight Finals appearances.
Once his playing career was over, West also spent time with the Lakers as a coach and general manager. Put simply, he put his heart and soul into helping this franchise succeed, whether he was on the court or working behind the scenes. In the end, though, it was his unreal contributions as a player that earned him this spot on the list.
Shaquille O’Neal
Career stats with Lakers: 27 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.5 BPG, 0.6 SPG, 57.5 FG%
Shaquille O’Neal is often remembered as Kobe’s partner in crime during the Lakers’ three-peat from 1999-02. However, it doesn’t do his talents and impact justice to simply lump him in as the No. 2 to Bryant during their glory days together.
In fact, some might even try to make the case that Kobe was the No. 2 to Shaq. Between his MVP award in 2000 and three straight Finals MVPs, it’s easy to imagine O’Neal as the driving force behind the Lakers’ success at the turn of the millennium. Whatever way you choose to see it is really up to you.
Either way, Shaq was a man among boys during his days in Los Angeles. With ridiculous size and strength even for the center position, he manhandled opponents and owned the paint in ways rarely seen prior to his time in the league. His post-up game and rim protection were feared across the NBA no matter who you asked.
Many fans will remember that his time in Los Angeles came to a bitter end. After years of rumored squabbles between O’Neal and Bryant, the Lakers shipped the big man off to the Miami Heat for a bundle of players and a draft pick. It was a disappointing way for his time with the franchise to come to a close. It didn’t, however, tarnish his legacy.
There have been plenty of superior big man to wear the purple and gold through the years. None were more unstoppable in the paint than O’Neal. If only he had been better at shooting free throws….
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Career stats with Lakers: 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 BPG, 0.9 SPG, 56.7 FG%
Looking back on his career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar truly had it all. He was an elite scorer who terrorized opponents with his patented sky-hook. Using his size and length, he also made life miserable for opposing offenses as both a rebounder and rim protector.
It’s his scoring that really stands out when examining Abdul-Jabbar’s career, though. I mean, the guy is still the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points to his name. No matter what the defense threw at him, he found a way to sink it. That’s just the type of player he was throughout his 20-year career.
Still not buying him as one of the top three Lakers of all time? That’s rather silly, but let me offer more evidence. In 20 seasons, Abdul-Jabbar made the All-Star team 19 times, won six rings, secured six MVP awards, and was named to the All-NBA team on 15 different occasions. The guy posed a matchup nightmare on a nightly basis, leading to his unreal dominance.
While I’m not entirely on the same page, many folks will argue that Abdul-Jabbar is right up there with Michael Jordan as one of the game’s greatest ever. His points record tends to sway people, but I believe that had more to do with his lengthy career and ability to stay relatively healthy.
Still in the grand scheme of things, Abdul-Jabbar was one of the best Lakers ever. There’s a reason his jersey is snugly stowed away in the rafters for all Los Angeles fans to see.
Magic Johnson
Career stats with Lakers: 19.5 PPG, 11.2 APG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 52 FG%
Believe it or not, Magic Johnson is more than the Lakers’ confident, charismatic president of basketball operations. At one time, he was one of the NBA’s most electric and unstoppable point guards.
As a matter of fact, I believe he’s the best player to ever suit up for Los Angeles not named Kobe. When he was on the court, Magic didn’t need to score points to be dominate. As one of the greatest passers and points guards in league history, his ability to set teammates up for success was uncanny.
Just look at his resume if you’re not sure: three MVP awards, 12 All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA First Team selections, five NBA championships. That’s on top of the fact that he led the NBA four times in assists and twice in steals. His size, athleticism, length and quickness all made him a unique playmaker that opponents were incapable of containing.
Put simply, Magic was a transcendent talent. While not a perfect comparison, he reminds me a bit of Giannis Antetokounmpo in terms of his “unicorn” physical tools and skill-set. There just wasn’t anyone else like him, and there likely never will be. The crazy part is that he continues to use that same, well, magic today as an executive and businessman.
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If Magic can turn this current Lakers team around, he’ll cement his status as arguably the best player/person in franchise history.