1. Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Though new age Lakers fans may find issue with Magic Johnson ranking above the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant for the title of best Laker of all time, if you look at both Magic’s accomplishments and what he did for the make up of the NBA it is fairly easy to understand.
To start it off, Magic Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, and 7.2 rebounds on his career. Additionally, through his 13 year career, Magic led the Lakers to 9 NBA Finals, winning five of them.
Despite losing the Rookie of the Year trophy to Larry Bird in 1980, Magic finished his storied career with three MVP trophies, three Finals MVP trophies, and remains the only player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP trophy as a rookie.
The 2010 documentary, “Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals,” perfectly chronicles the effect that both men had on the game of basketball. Arguably, without their heated rivalry, and later budding friendship, the NBA might not have made it out of the 1980’s.
At this time, NBA games were shown on tape delay to the chagrin of NBA fans everywhere. Taking a look at the amount of live games shown versus tape delayed games, you can easily see that the future of the NBA was in trouble.
Magic’s combination of on and off court esteem give him enough to rank as the best Laker of all time.