Los Angeles Lakers: 10 best power forwards in team history

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 12: Kobe Bryant #24 and Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers react after a 96-91 win against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 12, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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8. Bob McAdoo (1981-85)

By the time he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, Bob McAdoo was already a certified superstar and headed for the Hall of Fame.

Between his stints with the Buffalo Braves and New York Knicks, McAdoo had led the NBA in scoring three times, made five All-Star appearances, been a two-time All-NBA pick, and won league MVP in 1975.

When he was traded to the Lakers in 1981, he was 30 years old and already on the downside of his career.

The former MVP took on a reserve role in L.A., coming off the bench and helping the team win four straight Western Conference titles and two NBA championships in 1982 and 1985. McAdoo averaged 12.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for the Lakers.

He was particularly big in the 1982 NBA Finals, averaging 16.3 points on 56.9 percent field-goal shooting as the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers.

That same postseason, McAdoo had 26 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in L.A.’s series-clinching Game 4 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

In the 1983 NBA Finals, McAdoo missed half of the series with a hamstring injury. In the 1984 NBA Finals, McAdoo missed most of Game 6 and all of Game 7 with an Achilles injury. His absence is often cited as a big reason the Lakers didn’t win it all in those years.

McAdoo bounced back healthy enough in 1985 to contribute to another championship. He scored 19 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and averaged 8.2 points as L.A. beat the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers didn’t re-sign McAdoo that summer, and he went on to play one more season with the 76ers before retiring. He went into coaching and won three NBA titles with the Miami Heat as an assistant.

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