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

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.