My Lakers All-time Starting Line-up
I'm putting my stock on this one, the Lakers are a storied franchise with so many great players playing for them. The lure of Hollywood, The fame, sunny Cali what more can you ask, Getting chummy with Jack Nicholson ain't bad either.
I'm putting my categories as is:
1. Player should have played for the Lakers at least 5 years.
That eliminates, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman. Heck, even LeBron for now.
2.Spent their best years as a Laker.
Too bad for Wilt he came in late for this one. Dominant as he was he was not the same guy who was toying with everyone when he went to LA.
3. Considered an All-Time Great.
Of course this is a must.
PG
Jerry West
Rarely would you come across a wunderkind like Jerry West. Most knew him as a SG but West started out as a PG. Yep, you read it right. Jerry was the Allen Iverson of the yesteryears. With career average of 27 points a game who would have known? 14x All-Star, NBA Champion and only finals MVP form the losing team what more can you ask for?
SG
Kobe Bryant
Hard not to put the guy here. He is the modern Michael Jordan his work ethic is a stuff of legend. 5x champion, scoring machine what else can you ask a guy? Pass? Maybe sometimes. But the way the guy shoots is poetry in motion. He perfected the Jordan mimic and added some of his own to the arsenal. Did I say he was 4th in the all-time scoring list?
SF
Elgin Baylor
He was Kobe before Kobe, LeBron before LeBron. The other half of the duo that challenged the collection of guys Bill Russell has, take this almost yearly. Elgin immortalized himself in the biggest stage when he unleashed a 61 point game in the finals. Elgin sadly retired before the Lakers realized a championship. His retirement sparked the longest winning streak in NBA history at 33. Elgin is a 11x All-Star and HOF. Deservedly so.
PF
Magic Johnson
Magic is one of those NBA players that need not to score to change the game. More know to play PG, Magic returned in 1996 to play PF for the Lakers. That was a golden time considering Michael Jordan just came back also the last season. It was to be his last but we got glimpse of how Magic would operate as PF. At 6-9 he has the size and length to do so. Why am I putting him in this position? Of all the great players the Lakers had they never came across a great PF in his prime to help them. Magic can play every position there is and did I say he didn't need to score to change the game?
C
Kareem Addul Jabbar
Its a toss up really between the Captain and the Diesel but I'm going with Kareem because of longevity and overall effectiveness on the court. Kareem's length allowed his almost unstoppable shot 'skyhook' to reign supreme during his heyday. Heck Kareem can score almost at will during that time with that 'skyshook'. It's a lost art, like Rick Barry's toss free throw. But who the heck are we kidding here, Kareem symbolizes the Laker bigman of all-time. Period.
I'm putting my categories as is:
1. Player should have played for the Lakers at least 5 years.
That eliminates, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman. Heck, even LeBron for now.
2.Spent their best years as a Laker.
Too bad for Wilt he came in late for this one. Dominant as he was he was not the same guy who was toying with everyone when he went to LA.
3. Considered an All-Time Great.
Of course this is a must.
PG
Jerry West
Rarely would you come across a wunderkind like Jerry West. Most knew him as a SG but West started out as a PG. Yep, you read it right. Jerry was the Allen Iverson of the yesteryears. With career average of 27 points a game who would have known? 14x All-Star, NBA Champion and only finals MVP form the losing team what more can you ask for?
SG
Kobe Bryant
Hard not to put the guy here. He is the modern Michael Jordan his work ethic is a stuff of legend. 5x champion, scoring machine what else can you ask a guy? Pass? Maybe sometimes. But the way the guy shoots is poetry in motion. He perfected the Jordan mimic and added some of his own to the arsenal. Did I say he was 4th in the all-time scoring list?
SF
Elgin Baylor
He was Kobe before Kobe, LeBron before LeBron. The other half of the duo that challenged the collection of guys Bill Russell has, take this almost yearly. Elgin immortalized himself in the biggest stage when he unleashed a 61 point game in the finals. Elgin sadly retired before the Lakers realized a championship. His retirement sparked the longest winning streak in NBA history at 33. Elgin is a 11x All-Star and HOF. Deservedly so.
PF
Magic Johnson
Magic is one of those NBA players that need not to score to change the game. More know to play PG, Magic returned in 1996 to play PF for the Lakers. That was a golden time considering Michael Jordan just came back also the last season. It was to be his last but we got glimpse of how Magic would operate as PF. At 6-9 he has the size and length to do so. Why am I putting him in this position? Of all the great players the Lakers had they never came across a great PF in his prime to help them. Magic can play every position there is and did I say he didn't need to score to change the game?
C
Kareem Addul Jabbar
Its a toss up really between the Captain and the Diesel but I'm going with Kareem because of longevity and overall effectiveness on the court. Kareem's length allowed his almost unstoppable shot 'skyhook' to reign supreme during his heyday. Heck Kareem can score almost at will during that time with that 'skyshook'. It's a lost art, like Rick Barry's toss free throw. But who the heck are we kidding here, Kareem symbolizes the Laker bigman of all-time. Period.
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