LeBron James' place among all-time Lakers greats in the GOAT debate

LeBron James’ place among all-time Lakers greats in the GOAT debate

By Simon Brady | Oct 12, 2020

Oct 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) smiles while holding the MVP trophy after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

4 of 7

(Photo by Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Fourth greatest of all-time
Third greatest to ever play for the Los Angeles Lakers

This is where these rankings get tricky. Abdul-Jabbar, formerly Lou Alcindor, and the other true centers and former Lakers on this top ten list really belong in a separate category given how different the nature of their games is. Despite that, Abdul-Jabbar is a clear top-five player of all-time.

The league’s all-time leader in points with 38,387. The league’s all-time leader in MVP awards with six, one more than Michael Jordan. The league’s all-time leader in All-Star appearances with 19.

The most unstoppable shot in NBA history on the offensive end with the famous hook, an 11-time all-defense selection and four-time block champion on the other end to complement it.

No one in their right mind could deny the all-time greatness of Abdul-Jabbar, averaging 24 points, 11 boards, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks through a captivating 20-year career in Milwaukee and Los Angeles.

Home/Lakers News