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.
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.