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14.5k voters

The Greatest Lakers of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated September 20, 2020 112.4k votes 14.5k voters 147.2k views107 items

List RulesNBA players who have played for the LA Lakers or Minneapolis Lakers.

Check out this list of the greatest Lakers of all time, ranked by fans like you. The list includes players from both the LA Lakers and the Minneapolis Lakers. These are some of the best basketball players in the NBA since the Lakers were first established as a club in 1947. Vote for those players you believe to be the best Lakers to move them up the list. If you don't see your favorites, add them to the bottom - or better yet, rerank them to create a personalized list of your own.

Think Magic Johnson is better than Kobe Bryant? Is Shaq one of the Lakers' greatest players? Though he's nearing the end of his career, will Lebron James go down as one of the greatest Lakers after signing in July 2018? Could Anthony Davis do the same?

Maybe this list of the best Lakers' players of all time will help us finally make a definitive decision. Whether you've been a fan of the team your whole life, or just enjoy watching top players compete against other super stars, you've probably got some sort of opinion on these famous Lakers players. Vote and make your voice heard!

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Magic Johnson
Point guard, Power forward
Age: 61
Birthplace: Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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#30 of 105 The Most Influential Contemporary Americans#9 of 27 The Best '90s Point Guards
2
5,809
1,524
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Center
Age: 73
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks
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#406 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021#1343 of 1,355 The Greatest Minds of All Time
3
5,050
1,506
Shaquille O'Neal
Center
Age: 48
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat
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#1012 of 2,443 The Most Influential People of All Time#27 of 176 The Best Hot Ones Guests Ever
4
3,775
1,175
Jerry West
Point guard, Shooting guard
Age: 82
Birthplace: Chelyan, West Virginia, West Virginia
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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#1231 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time#12 of 76 The All Time Greatest NBA Coaches
5
8,251
2,764
Kobe Bryant
Point guard, Shooting guard
Age: 42
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Number: 24
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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6
4,394
1,382
Wilt Chamberlain
Center
Age: Dec. at 63 (1936-1999)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia Warriors, San Francisco Warriors
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7
2,765
916
Elgin Baylor
Small forward
Age: 85
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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#12 of 161 The Best NBA Players With No Championship Rings#12 of 55 The Best No. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks of All Time, Ranked
8
2,483
718
LeBron James
Small forward, Power forward
Age: 36
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio
Number: 23
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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9
2,612
880
James Worthy
Small forward
Age: 58
Birthplace: Gastonia, North Carolina, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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#2 of 51 The Greatest UNC Tar Heels Basketball Players of All Time#9 of 22 The Best Small Forwards of the 90s
10
1,780
886
George Mikan
Center
Age: Dec. at 81 (1924-2005)
Birthplace: Joliet, Illinois
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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#128 of 227 The Greatest Offensive Players in NBA History#123 of 143 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon
11
949
552
Jamaal Wilkes
Shooting guard, Small forward
Age: 66
Birthplace: Berkeley, California, United States of America
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers
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#47 of 69 All NBA Rookie Of The Year Award Winners, Ranked#17 of 29 The Greatest Small Forwards of the 1980s
12
1,298
787
Gail Goodrich
Guard
Age: 77
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Jazz
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#48 of 232 The Best White Players in NBA History#5 of 42 The Greatest UCLA Basketball Players of All Time
13
1,140
711
Michael Cooper
Point guard, Shooting guard
Age: 63
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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#13 of 26 The Best NBA Shooting Guards of the 80s#315 of 874 Big Grid relations

14
866
526
Bob McAdoo
Power forward, Center
Age: 69
Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers
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#11 of 23 The Best NBA Centers of the 1980s#24 of 30 The Best NBA Centers of the '90s
15
1,964
1,254
Pau Gasol
Power forward, Center
Age: 40
Birthplace: Barcelona, Spain
Number: 16
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs
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#27 of 165 The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time#412 of 583 The Greatest Entertainers of All Time
16
554
317
Mychal Thompson
Power forward, Center
Age: 64
Birthplace: Nassau, Bahamas
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers
17
458
93
Anthony Davis
Power forward, Center
Age: 27
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Number: 3
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
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18
916
582
A. C. Green
Power forward, Center
Age: 57
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States of America
Teams: Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat
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#15 of 25 The Best Power Forwards of the 80s#20 of 31 The Best Power Forwards of the 1990s
19
368
190
Glen Rice
Shooting guard, Small forward
Age: 52
Birthplace: Flint, Michigan, USA
Teams: Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers
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#1 of 46 The Greatest Michigan Basketball Players of All Time#20 of 175 The Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History
20
1,039
686
Robert Horry
Small forward, Power forward
Age: 49
Birthplace: Maryland, United States of America
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers
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#76 of 126 The Best NBA Buys for the Money#25 of 28 The Best NCAA Small Forwards of the 80s
21
1,198
781
Byron Scott
Shooting guard
Age: 58
Birthplace: Ogden, Utah, United States of America
Teams: Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies
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#16 of 53 The Best NBA Players Who Played Overseas#17 of 23 The Best Lakers Coaches of All Time, Ranked
22
728
458
Rick Fox
Small forward
Age: 50
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Teams: Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers
23
468
156
Phil Jackson
Center, Forward-center
Age: 74
Birthplace: Deer Lodge, Montana
Teams: Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks
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#57 of 163 The Smartest Professional Athletes#38 of 90 The Best New York Knicks of All Time

24
1,239
821
Derek Fisher
Point guard
Age: 46
Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas
Number: 6
Teams: Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors
25
610
396
Eddie Jones
Shooting guard
Age: 48
Birthplace: Pompano Beach, Florida
Teams: Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat
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Mychal Thompson