NBA player rankings and lists are a common topic of conversation among followers, past players, and public personalities. Because of the calibre of players who have passed through the league, it is interesting to examine who many believe to be the all-time greats.
But because of the many luminaries who have worn purple and gold, the Los Angeles Lakers are brought up in conversation. With players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, it is difficult to exclude any Lakers from rankings.
When players or celebrities are asked about their rankings, there are so many avenues to choose from. Rapper Lil Wayne was courtside at the game on Thursday and was asked about who is in his all-time Lakers starting lineup and he included O’Neal at first before taking him off, much to the dismay of the legendary big man:
Lil Wayne showcased just how hard it is to come up with an all-time Lakers list given how many legends have played for the franchise.
O’Neal has been a popular name used in all-time Lakers rankings as he was one of the most dominant big men to play basketball. He left the Orlando Magic to team up with a young Bryant and they’d ultimately win three championships in a row from 2000-02. It may be hard for fans to put James over O’Neal due to the former only winning one championship with L.A. and most of his success being with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
There are so many beloved Lakers players and there will be legends who get left off a list due to the absurd amount of star talent that has passed through the franchise. At this point, James may need to win one more championship in L.A. to be on the all-time list of Lakers, but these rankings are purely subjective and allow for conversation to happen to discuss the greats of the NBA.
Anthony Edwards names Bryant & O’Neal in all-time starting five
Former No. 1 overall pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves Anthony Edwards has quickly become one of the best young players in the league, entering his fourth season. During the summer, Edwards was asked about his all-time starting five and he included both Bryant and O’Neal in his lineup.
