Top 25 Los Angeles Lakers of all time

Campbell began his career with the Lakers, providing a defensive deterrent for nine seasons. He’s third all time in blocks for the franchise, and he averaged double-digit points for his final six years with the team. Though he never made an All-Star team, he had a long, successful career. Since we were reticent to include too many players from the very early days of the NBA, Campbell was a solid choice. Some people actually remember him.

Yes, Jones played only four seasons for the Lakers, but they were quite an impressive four seasons. He made the All-Star Game twice, thanks to his prowess from the three-point line and also his penchant for steals. Jones’ 2.1 steals per game is still a franchise record, and he’s fifth in three-point shots made.

Martin is a Hall of Famer, and he made four All-Star teams with the Lakers. However, they were the Minneapolis Lakers at the time. He played his first game for the franchise in 1949, which should give you a sense of how long ago it was. Though obviously he was a fine player for his era, basketball was barely the same sport at the time as it is now. Still, his Hall of Fame status is unimpeachable.

Van Exel had quite the career for a second-round pick. He played his first five seasons with Los Angeles, establishing himself as a promising point guard. Though Nick the Quick was never quite able to really take his game to the next level, his last year in L.A. was his only All-Star appearance. But he was a flashy and fun player. He’s also third in three-pointers made and attempted in franchise history, and he averaged 7.3 assists per game.

You know who is first in assists per game for the Lakers, but do you know who is second? Well, you do now. Nixon averaged 7.9 dimes per game over six seasons with the franchise. He also averaged 16.4 points and 1.8 steals per contest. Of course, since he played for Los Angeles in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, he got sort of overshadowed.

Wilkes is in the Hall of Fame, and though he didn’t spend his entire career with the Lakers, eight of his 12 seasons were in purple and gold. For three seasons he averaged over 20 points per game, and he ranks 10th in franchise history in points and points per game.

Though his numbers aren’t as flashy as those of some other former Lakers, Fisher is one of the more beloved players in team history. He certainly feels like a Laker, for what it’s worth. That’s probably because he played 13 years with the team, including on five title-winning squads. Fisher ranks in the top 10 in a few categories, probably in part because he’s fifth in career games for L.A.

LaRusso (who, if Basketball Reference is to be believed, was known by some as “Honey Boy”) spanned eras because he played for the Lakers in their last season in Minneapolis and their first in Los Angeles. He made five All-Star Games total, three with the Lakers, and he averaged 9.6 rebounds per game with the purple and gold as well. Basketball was less athletic then, but that many rebounds is still impressive.

Cooper is a classic Laker, as he played his entire career with the team, including playing for five championship teams. Though his offensive skills were limited, his defensive prowess more than made up for it. He made first- or second-team All-Defense eight times and was Defensive Player of the Year once. Funnily enough, he was also a strong three-point shooter. Had he played 20 years later, he would have been a perennial All-Star.

Good old Vlade. He played eight seasons total for the Lakers, although that includes a 15-game cameo in his final season, and he averaged a double-double in two of those campaigns. By advanced metrics, he was a pretty impactful player during his time with the Lakers. He’s eighth in career VORP in franchise history, and he actually ranks second in defensive plus/minus. In fact, he’s 21st in that statistic in basketball history.

Odom’s career has been overshadowed by Kardashians and substance abuse issues, but he was a great player who was probably a little before his time. He was the third-best player on two championship teams and won Sixth Man of the Year once. Odom was a heckuva rebounder, and his contributions to the Lakers will not be forgotten by fans.

Goodrich played a few seasons with the Lakers, went to Phoenix and then returned a different player. After rejoining L.A. he averaged over 22 points per game four times. Goodrich made the Hall of Fame largely based on his work with the Lakers, where he averaged 21.6 points per 36 minutes. Lakers fans are probably happy his stint with the Suns turned out to be short.

Look, Chamberlain is one of the best players ever. He dominated the NBA. However, he played only five years with the Lakers, and they were the final seasons of his career. Now, he was still a beast who averaged 19.2 rebounds per game with Los Angeles, and he was an All-Star four times. That being said, this isn’t about career numbers. It’s about Lakers legends, and Wilt the Stilt is a little further down the list as a result.

Case in point, Scott wasn’t as good of a player as Chamberlain, but he played 11 seasons with the Lakers. That includes several trips to the playoffs where he was quite solid, and he played a part in three title teams. Scott is ninth in total points in franchise history and ranks in the top 10 in a lot of categories, mostly owing to the sheer amount of minutes he played with the Lakers.

We’re going old school again for a career-long Minneapolis Laker. Mikkelsen’s career ran from 1949-1959, but it was enough to get him in the Hall of Fame. He made six All-Star Games and four All-NBA teams, and he was one of the best players of his era. He’s also probably the best player ever named “Vern.”

Green was the NBA’s iron man, and that includes much of his stint with the Lakers. While he didn’t average a ton of points, he had a 118 offensive rating in his time with Los Angeles. That’s second all time in franchise history, actually. Green is also second in offensive rebounds and eighth in total rebounds. He’s synonymous with the Lakers, and the Lakers are synonymous with him.

When Pau was traded to the Lakers, it gave the franchise a second wind. He was vital to the team winning two titles post-Shaq. Gasol was an All-Star in his first three seasons with L.A. and racked up the win shares in his time. Had he spent more years with the team, he’d rank a bit higher. However, we are talking about a future Hall of Famer. He just needs to retire first.

Anybody who earns the nickname “Big Game James” is going to be beloved by fans who rooted for him. In this case, that would basically be only Lakers fans, as Worthy spent his entire Hall of Fame career with Los Angeles. He’s fourth in career games with L.A., and he was named Finals MVP in one of the team’s title wins. Big Game James, indeed.

Baylor is, frankly, overlooked in Lakers history. He spent his entire career with the franchise and racked up the points. Baylor averaged 27.4 points per game in his career, highest of any Laker. Oh, it’s also third in NBA history. Like we said, he’s overlooked. For many franchises, Baylor would be on top of the list. It speaks to the depth of this team that he isn’t.

If you ask basketball fans to name one player from the ‘50s, they are probably going to mention Mikan. He is the quintessential player from the earliest days of the NBA. He played only six seasons, and then a brief seventh season after returning from retirement, but in those six seasons he was first-team All-NBA every time. Mikan led the league in scoring the first three years of his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame way back in 1959. The Minneapolis Lakers won the title five times while he was on the team, and Mikan was the main reason why.

Shaq bounced around the league, but his best seasons came with the Lakers. When O’Neal entered the league, he changed the game with his size and strength. He averaged 27.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as a Laker, which is amazing. Inexplicably, he won only one MVP, but he won Finals MVP three times. Despite his dominance, you can’t really have Shaq higher than fifth, given the tumult that followed him and eventually led to his exit for Miami. Also, we’re docking points for “Kazaam.”

We’re talking about the guy in the NBA logo here! West is in the top three in almost every category in Lakers history, including games played and points per game. He averaged over 30 points on four separate occasions and is 25th in career points and 31st in career assists in NBA history. Famously, it took West a while to win a championship, but he was once named Finals MVP in a losing effort. Now that’s respect.

Don’t hate us, Kobe fans. Bryant’s a true legend, and he’s the iconic Laker of his era. However, the franchise didn’t begin and end with Kobe. Yes, he leads the team in games, minutes, points, field goals attempted and a million other stats. Hell, he’s third in rebounds and second in assists. All that being said, he was not without his flaws. He could be selfish, and was not the most efficient player. There’s no denying Kobe’s greatness, and being the third-best player in Lakers history is no small feat, but we can’t have him any higher than this.

Kareem did spend six years with Milwaukee, but he played for so long he managed 14 seasons with Los Angeles as well. It’s with the Lakers where he, and his skyhook, became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. He made 13 All-Star Games, won five titles and racked up MVPs. You can’t deny Kareem’s greatness. Had he spent his entire career in L.A. or been a little more lovable, he could have been No. 1.

Instead, that honor goes to Magic. Who else could it be? Johnson is the most uniformly beloved Laker. As a 6-foot-9’ point guard, he revolutionized basketball. He could play all five positions and did play center in the playoffs once. It was truly amazing. Magic averaged a whopping 11.2 assists per game and along with Larry Bird helped revitalize the NBA. If you are talking top 25 players in NBA history, Magic is making the list. On the Lakers' list, he’s tops.