5. Jerry West – First of all anytime you are the logo of the NBA you have to be on this list. West is #2 on the all-time scoring list for the Lakers and till this day he remains the only player to be named a NBA finals MVP on a losing team. How much swag is that? His team lost and they were still like ..”Yea go head and get this MVP cause you’re a beast.” Now that is the personification of a Baller. West greatness as a Laker is solidified when you look at the work he did as GM as well being the architech of some of those championship teams. Without West there is no Kobe or Shaq and this list looks completely different.

Honorable mention: Elgin Baylor, his playing career gets overlooked because he is so god awful as a GM but as Lakers go is currently the all-time rebounder and holds the highest scoring average (27.4).

4. Shaq – This was tough because we really wanted to put Kareem here but a comparison of the two and taking intangibles like dedication, free throws and skill set gave Kareem the edge. As great as Shaq was when you look at his body of work and everything he had accomplished you can say that he actually could have been better. Imagine if he spent his summer shooting free throws and working on his game instead of doing movies and rapping?

Our point exactly .. I’m not hating on Shaq, he is one of my favorite players of all time and what he brought to the game with his personality and his sheer power has not been seen since Wilt did it. When him and Kobe were doing their thing during the run they had Shaq was a monster offensively and defensively. Nobody will ever forget what Shaq did while he was Laker and his 3 rings as a Laker land him at #4 on our list.

3. Kareem Adul-Jabbar – If you are looking at just stats alone then Kareem should be the #1 Laker of all-time hands down. Here is my logic for having him at 3. When you’re a big man it’s hard to say that you can be the one superstar on your team and win a championship because it’s rarely been done. Wilt needed Jerry, Robinson needed Duncan, Shaq needed Kobe and even before he teamed with Magic Kareem needed Oscar. This isn’t taking anything away from him but if you asked me if you split up Magic and Kareem I would tell you that Magic would have a greater chance to win a ring by himself more so than Kareem.

The Sky Hook - Greatest Move in NBA History

I love Kareem because he was like the ying to Magic’s yang. He was the guy that kept everything in perspective and was able to temper Magic’s exuberance.  Who can forget the time he hit that game winner in the first game of the season? The announcer says  ”Abdul Jabbar has given the Lakers a victory and Magic Johnson is out there celebrating like they just won the NCAA championship.” (See that clip here) 

2. Kobe Bryant – Sorry Shaq we have Kobe at #2 and here is why. Ring for ring he is equal to magic but KB24 takes a hit on our list because he hasn’t always been the best teammate and you can make a argument that he is the cause of the whole Shaq-Kobe fued. .. Ok nah, that ish was his fault. If Shaq doesn’t leave L.A this team wins 2 maybe even 3 more championships. Shaq still had some gas in the tank but between the two of them the Staples center couldn’t hold both of their egos.

But when it comes to basketball!!! .. Nah you’re not gonna tell me too many more guys wanted it more than KB24. Other than MJ this guy is built just a little different and that is what a certain #6 from Miami doesn’t seem to grasp. At his peak Kobe was a killer and even today he still has that killer instinct. He doesn’t care if he misses but if there a shot to take to put you out, he is gonna be that guy to take it without a doubt. I don’t know how much longer Kobe has and if he get another chip he may be the greatest but for now, for this list we’re good with him being #2.

1. Magic Johnson – It’s hard to argue that anyone other than the Magic man should be number one on this list. When you ask Laker fans about greatness and you bring up names like Shaq/Kobe you might get a split. But when you say Magic, there is no question the love you will get from #32.  Magic edges Kobe because he was the consumate team player. Magic was able to keep guys like Byron Scott (a shooting guard), Worthy (a first round #1 pick himself) and Kareem all happy and working as a cohesive unit.

Oh and I DARE you to watch this video on Magic and not get hype!!

Without Magic there is no Showtime!!!  Without Magic there are no Jack Nicholson’s and celebrities at the forum.

As influences go, you will be hard pressed to surpass what Magic did for the Laker brand. Even when the Lakers were winning chips with Kobe/Shaq or Shaq/Kobe it still wasn’t done with the swagger that Magic and the old showtime Lakers did. The no look passes, the smile and the love of the game that was so evident every time he stepped on the court it is a no brainer to have Magic at the top of our list.