10 best point guards in Los Angeles Lakers history

2. Jerry West (1960-74)

The only debate regarding Jerry West in this space is whether he should be listed as a point guard or a shooting guard. Although he’s usually classified as a point guard on paper, he is often lumped in with shooting guards when fans and media start talking about the all-time greats.

Perhaps it’s because West was taller than longtime backcourt mate Gail Goodrich. Maybe it’s because West was such a great shooter and high-volume scorer that people see the numbers and assume he was a shooting guard.

West played his entire 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, making the All-Star Game every year. He was a 12-time All-NBA pick, five-time All-Defensive Team pick, led the league in scoring one year and in assists another year, led L.A. to a championship in 1972 and he incredibly won Finals MVP in 1969 even though the Lakers lost that series to the Celtics.

West averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game in his career. He posted a league-best 31.2 points in 1969-70 and a league-best 9.7 assists in 1971-72.

He was so good that he earned (and still has) the nickname “Mr. Clutch” despite owning a 1-8 record in the NBA Finals.

Including what he did on the court, one could argue West has had the best all-around basketball career in the game’s history.

He was a Hall of Fame player. He was the Lakers’ head coach for three years, making the playoffs each year. He then became the Lakers’ general manager and put together multiple championship squads in the 1980s (“Showtime”) and in the 2000s (the Shaq-and-Kobe era).

West later worked as an executive for the Golden State Warriors, helping build their recent championship dynasty. He is currently working for the Clippers and is credited with putting together the roster that is favored by many to win a championship in 2020.