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

3. Wilt Chamberlain

If there was ever an example of there being a man among boys in the NBA, it was Wilt Chamberlain. Well ahead of his time in terms of overall talent, the Big Dipper simply couldn’t be slowed no matter what tactics opponents employed.

However, it wasn’t with the Lakers where his dominant ways began. Instead, it was with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the club that took him during the 1959 Territorial Draft. It was here where he enjoyed the most success, leading the league in scoring each season and putting together his famous 100-point game.

Chamberlain was eventually traded back to Philly to join the Philadelphia 76ers, where he continued to victimize defenses with his size and wide array of scoring abilities. He spent four years back in Pennsylvania before the Lakers pulled off a 1968 blockbuster deal to acquire the reigning MVP.

Although he came to Los Angeles at 32 years old, Chamberlain was still a sensation for the Lake Show. His numbers began to decline as his supporting cast and competition improved, and yet he still managed 17.7 points and 19.2 rebounds per game during his four years with the Lakers.

Chamberlain secured his first ring with the 76ers, and won one more with Lakers in 1972. He’s often criticized for his lack of titles despite being a truly elite talent, but his domination of the record books and durability cemented his status as one of the game’s all-time greats.