True Lakers Fans

I went ahead and joined another Laker fan page on FB and yes it's full of international superficial Laker fans with delusions and strange perspectives, but there are good posts now and then and even some intelligent comments once in a while.

One topic making the rounds right now is WHO IS THE LAKERS TOP 5 ALL-TIME? There is a jazzy picture (if I could ever figure out how to insert pics here) that shows Magic at #1, Kareem at #2, Logo at #3, Kobe at #4 and Shaq at #5. I think, all things considered, this is a pretty strong list. When you factor in West's influence on the Laker franchise as a player, scout, coach, LOGO and GM (including mentoring Mitch and giving us Pau), he maybe should be #1 or #2.

Elgin, Wilt, Mikan . . . they come in later, for sure. What's your order, and why?

lakerevolution wrote:I went ahead and joined another Laker fan page on FB and yes it's full of international superficial Laker fans with delusions and strange perspectives, but there are good posts now and then and even some intelligent comments once in a while.

One topic making the rounds right now is WHO IS THE LAKERS TOP 5 ALL-TIME? There is a jazzy picture (if I could ever figure out how to insert pics here) that shows Magic at #1, Kareem at #2, Logo at #3, Kobe at #4 and Shaq at #5. I think, all things considered, this is a pretty strong list. When you factor in West's influence on the Laker franchise as a player, scout, coach, LOGO and GM (including mentoring Mitch and giving us Pau), he maybe should be #1 or #2.

Elgin, Wilt, Mikan . . . they come in later, for sure. What's your order, and why?

Lakers all-time 5 what? What are the criteria? Of those enshrined on the rafters at Staples Center, only Kobe, Baylor, West, Magic and Worthy played ONLY for the Lakers. I don't count the Minny guys, although George Mikan was the REAL pioneer for the dominant big man. Kareem had a 14 year stint with the P&G, which was longer than Magic's and the same length as West and Baylor's. Wilt, Shaq, Goodrich and Wilkes are all eliminated because they played for too many other teams. Pau joins them with honorable mentions to Coop, B Scott, Horry and Fish.

1) Kobe
2) Magic
3) West
4) Kareem
5) Baylor
6) Worthy
7) Shaq
8) Wilt

I'll say:
1. Magic - To me he helped saved the NBA, 9 Finals Appearances in 12 seasons + 5 Championships in the best era of Basketball. He beat Larry's teams twice in the Finals! Beating the Celtics in the 80's was a huge hurdle for the Lakers as they had never done that before.

2. Kobe - 5 Championships, played 20 seasons in a Lakers uniform, 81 point game as well.

3. Kareem - I think Kareem was the better player over Kobe but he played 6 seasons with the Bucks so regarding all-time Lakers, I put Kobe 2nd. Kareem still helped the Lakers win 5 Championships and won 2 League MVP's in a Lakers uniform.

4. Logo - Factoring in his GM duties besides clearly being a Top 20 player of all-time, he gets #4.

5. Shaq - Shaq only played 8 seasons with us but we got him at his best. He is only 1 of 2 players to win 3 straight Finals MVP's in NBA history (Jordan being the other) and he did it in a Laker uniform. Nobody was more dominant than him during 2000's. He gets the nod over Baylor and Wilt IMO. Wilt was at the tail end of his career when he joined us. I also considered Mikan and Worthy but will roll with Shaq at #5.

3Peatkb24 wrote:I'll say:
1. Magic - To me he helped saved the NBA, 9 Finals Appearances in 12 seasons + 5 Championships in the best era of Basketball. He beat Larry's teams twice in the Finals! Beating the Celtics in the 80's was a huge hurdle for the Lakers as they had never done that before.

2. Kobe - 5 Championships, played 20 seasons in a Lakers uniform, 81 point game as well.

3. Kareem - I think Kareem was the better player over Kobe but he played 6 seasons with the Bucks so regarding all-time Lakers, I put Kobe 2nd. Kareem still helped the Lakers win 5 Championships and won 2 League MVP's in a Lakers uniform.

4. Logo - Factoring in his GM duties besides clearly being a Top 20 player of all-time, he gets #4.

5. Shaq - Shaq only played 8 seasons with us but we got him at his best. He is only 1 of 2 players to win 3 straight Finals MVP's in NBA history (Jordan being the other) and he did it in a Laker uniform. Nobody was more dominant than him during 2000's. He gets the nod over Baylor and Wilt IMO. Wilt was at the tail end of his career when he joined us. I also considered Mikan and Worthy but will roll with Shaq at #5.

To follow this up, I don't think playing your entire career with the Lakers should be the ultimate factor on a list like this. I go by more what a player did while in a Lakers uniform, hence Shaq over Wilt. Kobe just happened to do more than Kareem while in a Lakers uniform so I put him 2nd. All-time Kareem scored more points and won more Championships but part of that was with the Bucks. I rank Kareem higher on my list of greatest players over Kobe but he wasn't a better Laker if that makes sense.

-Also no way was Baylor a better Laker than Shaq. Shaq won 3 straight Championships and was the MVP in all of them. Baylor never won a Championship, he was given a Championship by the team in 1972 but only played 9 games that year.

3Peat - I discussed this very same Baylor vs. Shaq issue today with an old school Laker fan (don't know his age but he's clearly old enough to have seen Baylor's career, which you and I haven't) and he made a compelling case for Baylor. Statistically, Baylor was a beast. He was on another level, and likely could have balled in the 70s, 80s and beyond if you plucked him out of his era. Did he help West get past Boston for a title? No. Did he win a league or Finals MVP? No. Scoring title, or all-defensive team? No, if those awards were being handed out in his prime. Everything else, he has the statistical edge over Shaq (except fg%). He would definitely be 5b.

lakerevolution wrote:3Peat - I discussed this very same Baylor vs. Shaq issue today with an old school Laker fan (don't know his age but he's clearly old enough to have seen Baylor's career, which you and I haven't) and he made a compelling case for Baylor. Statistically, Baylor was a beast. He was on another level, and likely could have balled in the 70s, 80s and beyond if you plucked him out of his era. Did he help West get past Boston for a title? No. Did he win a league or Finals MVP? No. Scoring title, or all-defensive team? No, if those awards were being handed out in his prime. Everything else, he has the statistical edge over Shaq (except fg%). He would definitely be 5b.

Yeah I would rank him 6th and behind Shaq. He deserves to be ahead of Wilt IMO regarding being a Laker. Statistically he put up mindboggling numbers with LA and I know Tate and Nuggs would put him Top 5 but Shaq 3Peated with 3 Finals MVP's so that alone has a lot of ammo.

Any pre-Buss/Magic Laker fan will support great play vs. rings. Call it the Clover Sting But as I was telling dude (I may try to influence him to join up here), a Lakers top 5 is completely unlike any other franchise top 5. Yes, #allringsmatter. POST-MERGER we have Logo and Lew (Alcindor) playing catch-up, and Logo gets the nod here over Cap if we're considering rings both as a player and as an employee of the franchise. Baylor and Mikan are really the next in line, but again the post-merger era is a more accurate barometer with which to decide who gets invited to the top 5 all-time.

lakerevolution wrote:Any pre-Buss/Magic Laker fan will support great play vs. rings. Call it the Clover Sting But as I was telling dude (I may try to influence him to join up here), a Lakers top 5 is completely unlike any other franchise top 5. Yes, #allringsmatter. POST-MERGER we have Logo and Lew (Alcindor) playing catch-up, and Logo gets the nod here over Cap if we're considering rings both as a player and as an employee of the franchise. Baylor and Mikan are really the next in line, but again the post-merger era is a more accurate barometer with which to decide who gets invited to the top 5 all-time.

I know it's not right but like you, I tend to lean towards players Post merger = 1977 to now. I do that with Baseball as well = 1947 to now. I love Babe Ruth and the Yankees history but African Americans weren't allowed to play before 1946 so that taints what the Yankees accomplished before then. Same for Football, I put more stock in the SB era from 1966 to now, then before that.