Los Angeles Lakers: Best players in team history who started elsewhere

5. Karl Malone

Unlike most of the other players on this list, Karl Malone did not do his best work with the Lakers. Prior to arriving in Los Angeles in 2003, the Mailman spent his first 18 seasons in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. His stay in Hollywood lasted only one year before he hung his sneakers up for good.

Still, as a whole, Malone’s career was one of legend.

Arguably one of the greatest power forwards of all time, Malone was simply unstoppable during his prime. A two-time MVP, 11-time All-NBA honoree, and 14-time All-Star, there wasn’t anything he didn’t seem capable of excelling at (apart from maybe shooting 3s). Whether he was scoring off passes from John Stockton or hauling in double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis, Malone was the man.

That’s why he currently sits in second place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The Mailman routinely delivered, and did so for nearly a decade before deciding to call it a career.

His one season with the Lakers was unspectacular. Essentially a ring grab, Malone hoped that teaming up with Kobe, Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton would be enough to get him his first NBA championship. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen as Los Angeles was nearly swept in the Finals by the Detroit Pistons, losing in five games.

There have been several instances over the years of aging stars joining the Lakers while chasing a ring. It didn’t work out for Malone, but he’s got a legendary career in Utah to fall back on.