Los Angeles Lakers: Did ESPN’s all-time NBA ranking get it right?

The Los Angeles Lakers were well-represented in ESPN’s recent ranking of the top 74 players in NBA history. But did the panel of experts get it right?

During this unexpected and increasingly lengthy downtime for sports, media outlets everywhere (including this one) are looking for content to fill space and kill time.

The easiest way to keep a basketball fan occupied? Come up with an individual player ranking or list. Guaranteed to start a debate that can turn into an argument that can turn into a virtual brawl.

For whatever reason, basketball fans and media are obsessed with individual rankings and lists more than the fans and media of any other team sport.

With the NBA in its 74th season, ESPN recently unveiled its ranking of the top 74 players in league history, as voted on by their own panel of experts. Because ESPN is regarded as the “worldwide leader” in sports media, their list is going to be shared around the globe and will be viewed as an authority by a lot of people.

https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1260573420204576768

It will spark countless disagreements, from the No. 1 spot down to the No. 74 spot — not to mention differences of opinion over players who were snubbed and didn’t make the cut.

To no one’s surprise, the Los Angeles Lakers are well-represented on ESPN’s list. Seventeen current or former Lakers are named, from LeBron James at No. 2 to Pau Gasol at No. 65.

LeBron is as polarizing as ever and remains at the center of most “G.O.A.T.” (Greatest Of All Time) arguments, which have heated up even more in the last month since ESPN also debuted the documentary series “The Last Dance” focusing on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Of course, the rankings are all subjective. Everybody has their own criteria and logic for what makes one player greater than the next, and often that criteria changes from one spot to the next. You may put Bill Russell ahead of Wilt Chamberlain because Russell has 11 championships versus Wilt’s two titles; then turn around and put Wilt ahead of five-time champion Tim Duncan because Wilt has better stats.

So while there are no official right or wrong answers, it’s still worth asking: Are ESPN’s all-time rankings accurate? Specifically, did they get it right with the Lakers who made the list?