Selecting the Los Angeles Lakers’ Mount Rushmore

Los Angeles Lakers Mount Rushmore: Kobe Bryant

Of all the records that Bryant owns, the record for most seasons played with one team perhaps best sums up his legacy. He spent twenty years, and nearly half of his life, with the Lakers, helping to carry on the team’s winning tradition. Early in his career, Bryant was paired with O’Neal, and the two formed one of the greatest duos in NBA history.

Despite playing in an incredibly tough Western Conference that featured great teams like the Spurs, Mavericks, Kings, and Blazers, the Lakers made the NBA Finals four straight times. Better still, they became just the fifth team ever to win three straight titles, something that hasn’t happened since.

After the O’Neal trade, Bryant kept the team competitive by averaging more than 30 points per game in consecutive seasons, before later forming another championship duo with Gasol. With five titles, an MVP, two Finals MVPs, and 18 All-Star appearances already under his belt, Bryant later capped his career by scoring an incredible 60 points in his final game.

That performance further proves that he’s not only one of the greatest Lakers, but also one of the greatest players ever.

All in all, the Lakers have had an incredible amount of talent play for them throughout their 75-year history. Be that as it may, O’Neal, Abdul-Jabar, Johnson, and Bryant stand out as most deserving of a spot on a theoretical Lakers Mount Rushmore.