From Wilt and Jerry’s long winning streak, to LeBron and AD’s title in the bubble, the Lakers have had a lot of great teams. This list takes a stab at ranking the purple and gold’s best teams of all-time.
This year’s Los Angeles Lakers squad has started the season out as hot as about any other team in their history, their 7-0 start on the road is a franchise record. It had me wondering is this one of the best Lakers rosters of all-time, and also where does last year’s championship roster rank among the best Lakers teams to ever take the court?
Throughout all the eras of the NBA, one thing has been consistent, the Lakers have been a perennial title contender. The Lakers have had more than 10 championship teams since their arrival in Los Angeles and that is why it was tremendously difficult to narrow down the top 10 most talented Lakers rosters of all-time.
It almost comes down to which era of Lakers basketball represents that sort of championship nostalgia for each individual. A young Lakers fan today might rank last year’s team a lot higher than fans with a little more experience under their belt that saw the 33 straight wins and the days of Wilt Chamberlain.
Personally, growing up watching the dominance of the Kobe and Shaq teams and especially the year they only had one playoff loss in 2001, makes that era tough to beat. However, my father might have something to say because he had season tickets to Showtime and saw the brilliance of Magic and Kareem first hand, so he might rank them in his top spot.
To make this list even easier to narrow down, it only includes teams since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960. Sorry, George Mikan, this list does not include any of your championship teams, but that does not disregard his Lakers that were the first NBA dynasty, winning five championships in their first six years in existence.
Pretty much all of the teams included on this list won the title, so that was a qualification most teams had to meet in order to be on the list. In order to be towards the top of the list, the teams had to break some sort of spectacular team record like most wins in a row or the least losses in an entire postseason.
These are the ten best Lakers rosters looking at how deep the team’s roster is on paper, the star power it included in the starting line up, and if it pulled off the ultimate goal of winning a championship. It is also comparing the teams to their competition that season, rather than a direct comparison of how they would have fared on the court against each other.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time:10. 2003-04
Starters: Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Rick Fox, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal
Bench: Devean George, Derek Fisher, Stanislav Medvedenko, Kareem Rush, Horace Grant, Bryon Russell, Luke Walton, Brian Cook, Jamal Sampson, Jannero Pargo, Maurice Carter, Ime Udoka
The most Basketball Hall of Fame players the Lakers have ever had on a team is four, and this was one of three teams in franchise history to have four Hall of Famers on it. What made this team unique is that all of those players were in the starting lineup together at once.
This team would rank a lot higher if their two big additions in the 2003 offseason, Gary Payton and Karl Malone, were not past their prime. It would also rank higher on the list if they won the Finals, instead of coming up short against the Detroit Pistons that were more of a complete team at that time.
Somehow, they still almost won a championship despite all of the turmoil that surrounded the team that season.
From the feuds between teammates Kobe and Shaq and Kobe and Malone, to Payton struggling with his role on the team, and Bryant’s court case. Malone also struggled with injuries that regular season and that resulted in a lack of on-court chemistry needed for them to win the title.
Their biggest accomplishment is either winning the Western Conference Finals or defeating the defending champion Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Ultimately, this team could not be left off this list because of the hype that surrounded them going into the year and the legendary star power that included three guys in the top ten for career scoring. They were a disappointment because they failed to meet their lofty expectations and win the big prize of a championship, but they still deserve a spot on the list.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 9. 2009-10
Starters: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
Bench: Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujavic
The 2009-10 Lakers team was the first repeat champion for the franchise since the last championship of their three-peat in 2002. The best Lakers teams of all time cemented their legacies and became dynasties by winning multiple titles and this team did that by winning one of the most difficult titles in their history.
They had been to the previous two Finals and in their first appearance in 2008 they lost to their bitter rival the Boston Celtics. They had a chance to redeem that Finals disappointment in 2010 when they once again squared off against that same Celtics team that still had their core group of star players intact and they defeated them in one of the most memorable Finals in Lakers history.
The team had a dominant run all season heading towards those finals as well, winning the 11th most games in franchise history with 57. A big reason why they had such a successful regular season was because they had one of the best defenses in the league ranked fourth in defensive rating at 103.7 holding opponents to just 97 points per game.
Their stellar regular season led them to the number one seed in the tough Western Conference. Then they went on one of the most dominant playoff runs in Lakers history, only losing four total games in the playoffs before reaching the Finals and never trailing in a series.
A major factor that helped improve their defense was the offseason addition of Metta World Peace who had a reputation as one of the toughest perimeter defenders in the game. He replaced Trevor Ariza as the small forward in the starting lineup after Ariza got a big-money deal from the Houston Rockets that offseason, so the teams essentially traded wing defenders.
The World Peace signing also proved to be the right move in the Finals when he hit the biggest 3-pointer of his life that helped the Lakers win game seven of that tough series. That legendary game seven and series victory is the biggest reason why this team makes this list and without Metta they probably do not win that championship.
Kobe Bryant was obviously the biggest reason why the Lakers had so much success that season finishing third in NBA MVP voting, but this team proved they could pick up the slack when he was missing shots in that game seven of the NBA Finals. That team victory proved that this team was not just a two-man show of Gasol and Bryant and their deep roster made them an easy choice to put on this list.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 8. 1981-82
Starters: Magic Johnson, Norm Nixon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Kurt Rambis.
Bench: Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, Clay Johnson, Mike McGee, Mark Landsberger, Jim Brewer, Eddie Jordan
The 1982 champion Lakers were a special team because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was at the tail-end of his prime, and Magic Johnson was at the start of his. By this point in their careers, they were both already Finals MVPs and their dynamic duo overmatched the rest of the NBA.
Kareem had already played with one of the best point guards to ever play the game in Oscar Robertson, but Magic Johnson was developing into a player the NBA had never seen before. A 6’9″ point guard that could throw passes like no other and had court vision to make it seem like he had eyes in the back of his head.
This team also included two other Hall of Famers as well with Jamaal Wilkes’ crazy jump shot draining threes from the corner and big man Bob McAdoo coming off the bench to solidify their depth.
What this team also had that the rest of the Showtime teams on the list did not include is Norm Nixon, who was also a very capable playmaking point guard who ran the show before Magic joined the team. Kurt Rambis and Michael Cooper are other recognizable role players from this championship squad that continued on to win multiple championships with the franchise.
Notable accomplishments for this team include finishing the regular season as the number one seed in the west with 57 wins. Their greatest accomplishment though is obviously winning the championship in 1982 and only losing two games in the playoffs, defeating the 76ers lead by Julius Erving in 6 games.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 7. 2019-20
Starters: LeBron James, Avery Bradley, Danny Green, Anthony Davis, Javale McGee
Bench: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Markieff Morris, Dion Waiters, J.R. Smith, Talen Horton-Tucker, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley, Troy Daniels, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Devontae Cacok, Zach Norvell
At the start of the 2019 regular season, hardly anyone was saying the Lakers were going to be the champions at the end of the season. ESPN ranked them behind teams like the Clippers, Bucks, and even the Nuggets in preseason rankings heading into the year despite the Lakers teaming up two top-five talents in the entire NBA.
The main knock on this team going into the season after DeMarcus Cousins’ injury was that they have great star power, but the rest of their roster lacked the firepower to get the Lakers anywhere in the playoffs.
Key role players like Avery Bradley and Javale McGee stepped up and helped the Lakers have one of the best regular seasons franchise history. Then in the postseason surprise veteran contributors like Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo played major roles to get the Lakers over the top and win the championship.
Heading into 2019 all three of those players just mentioned were looked at as poor signings past their prime, but all those guys rewrote that script and played their way into contracts with new teams this season.
The Lakers also got surprising stand out defensive play from their guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso all season, and their energy helped carry them in the playoffs.
In only 71 games, this team was able to break the 50 win mark and that is an impressive feat for any team in a full 82 game season.
A mixture of obstacles from the Coronavirus pandemic to the legend Kobe Bryant abruptly passing away made this team’s achievement of a championship even that more special for a city desperate for something to be happy about.
That, along with having to win their championship in a bubble without the home-court advantage, something a number one seed usually enjoys, makes it easy to justify this team being on the list.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 6. 2008-09
Starters: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
Bench: Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanović, Sasha Vujačić, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, D.J. Mbenga, Shannon Brown, Chris Mihm, Adam Morrison, Sun Yue
After losing the 2008 finals to their bitter rivals the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and more specifically Kobe Bryant were more motivated than ever to reach the finals the following season. Then the core of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum would go on to win the next two championships following that loss.
2008-09 was Kobe at his peak and his running mates Odom and Gasol were playing the best basketball of their respective careers as well. It made for beautiful basketball and one of the most complete championship teams of Bryant’s illustrious Lakers career.
Other notable contributors from this team include a young Trevor Ariza and Derek Fisher who was on every single Kobe championship team. Fisher of course hit huge shots down the stretch in the 2009 NBA finals against the Orlando Magic to help them win a couple of games in that series.
Along with winning the title in 2009, the Lakers also won 65 games in the regular season, only four short of the franchise record of 69.
Kobe and Pau might not have been the dominant overpowering scoring duo that Shaq and Kobe were, but their chemistry is what made this team so good. Pau had the ability to facilitate in the triangle offense like no other big man could, and their friendship developed so well that they even spoke Spanish on the court at times to confuse opponents.
Winning this championship made a statement that Kobe could be the number one player on a championship team, and gave them the entire team the championship experience to eventually avenge their loss against the Celtics and win back-to-back championships.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 5. 1999-00
Starters: Kobe Bryant, Ron Harper, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice, A.C. Green.
Bench: Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher, Devean George, Travis Knight, John Salley.
The 1999-2000 season is when both Kobe and Shaq realized their full championship potential. They had been knocking on the door the past couple of seasons prior to this one, but the arrival of head coach Phil Jackson transformed this team into a true champion.
This team had a terrific regular season, won 67 games, and was easily the number one seed in the western conference. Then they showed their youth by struggling in the playoffs and having two extremely difficult series and even almost losing to the Kings in the first round.
In game seven of the Western Conference Finals that season, the Lakers’ future was looking bleak late in the fourth quarter trailing by 15 with only 10:28 remaining in the contest. Then Kobe and Shaq took over the game and lead the team on a comeback for the ages and capped it with an iconic alley-oop that ignited a run of three straight championships.
It was clear during this season that the two best players in the league both played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the combination of Shaq and Kobe was way too much for the rest of the league to deal with.
Other key veterans that added championship moxie to the roster included Ron Harper who came over with Phil Jackson from the Bulls, Brian Shaw, and Robert Horry, who all had a ton of playoff experience already.
That mixture of savvy vets with two superstars in their prime is what made this team so special and allowed the Lakers to win their first title since the 80’s Showtime era.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 4. 1984-85
Starters: Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis.
Bench: Bob McAdoo, Byron Scott, Mike McGee, Larry Spriggs, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Chuck Nevitt
Speaking of the Showtime era, the 1984-85 squad truly marked the start of that era in Los Angeles because the emergence of former number one pick James Worthy as a star in the league filling the lane on the fast break running alongside Magic. His arrival created a big three with Worthy, Kareem, and Magic, and his style of play fit in perfectly with the run and gun point guard.
Not only did they have Worthy filling the lane, but this was also the second season of high flying point guard Byron Scott’s career, and he made Showtime that much more fun to watch as well.
The 1984-85 team was perhaps the most important team in Lakers history because it was the first team to defeat the bitter rival Boston Celtics in a Finals series. They won the championship on the Boston Garden floor in front of their fans that year and it was never a sweeter feeling for the Lakers franchise.
With three Hall of Famers in the starting lineup and one coming off the bench, this is yet another Lakers team with four total members on the roster. With that legendary star power and the brand of Showtime forever attached to this team it was easy to rank them in the top four Lakers teams of all-time and they could arguably be higher on the list.
Notable accomplishments that this team had other than defeating the Celtics in the Finals was winning 62 games on their way to the number one seed in the conference, had the best offensive rating in the league, and only lost four playoff games on the way to the title.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 3. 1986-87
Starters: Byron Scott, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, A.C. Green.
Bench: Mychal Thompson, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis, Wes Matthews, Adrian Branch, Billy Thompson, Mike Smrek
The main difference from the team ranked below this one was the addition of A.C. Green and Byron Scott to the starting line up that allowed for maximum pace and speed for Showtime. That allowed them to average an absurd 117.8 points per game as the number rated offense and best net rating in the league.
That injection of youth into the starting line up mixed with the big three of Magic, Kareem, and Worthy was arguably the best starting line up in Lakers history and carried them to 65 wins that season.
Even though he was on the back end of his career, vintage Kareem was needed in the Finals and his skyhook was a big reason why the Lakers were able to take home the title this season. However, it was Magic’s baby skyhook that was the moment of the Finals and won game 4, and put the Lakers up three games to one in the series.
The Lakers were yet again victorious over the Boston Celtics in the Finals and it made it two championship victories to one for Magic against Larry Bird in the greatest individual rivalry in basketball history.
On their way to that championship, they won 65 regular-season games and only lost three total games in the postseason, winning the finals in six games.
This championship was Kareem and Magic’s fourth title in the purple and gold cemented the Showtime era as a definite dynasty and one of the most important core groups in the history of the NBA.
The Showtime Lakers catapulted the popularity of the league as a whole because of their unique flashy style of play that changed the game and their nasty rivalry between them and the Boston Celtics. That more than justifies their ranking on this list, and their place in the history of basketball.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 2. 2000-01
Starters: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Shaquille O’Neal
Bench: Horace Grant, Isaiah Rider, Mike Penberthy, Devean George, Ron Harper, Greg Foster, Mark Madsen
The 2000-01 Lakers are arguably the most dominant team in basketball history out of any franchise. They ran through that season and postseason as easily as any team in the history of the sport, in route to their second championship in a row.
This team’s claim to fame is easily almost sweeping through the playoffs, going 15-1 and only losing one game in the NBA Finals due to Allen Iverson having one of the best games in Finals history.
This was even more impressive because it was not really a cakewalk to the championship, the Lakers had to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, the Sacramento Kings, and the San Antonio Spurs who were three of the Lakers biggest rivals at this time.
Surprisingly they only won 56 games in the regular season, but that could have been due to Bryant missing a chunk of games due to a multitude of small injuries that season and the stacked western conference they had to face on a nightly basis.
One big addition to this squad that made it better than the team that won the championship the year before was power forward Horace Grant coming off the bench. He added a little more depth to a team that was already the best in the league and strengthened their rotation.
The main reason why this team is not ranked in the top spot on this list is because of their failure to win 60 regular-season games that season. However, going 15-1 in the postseason broke a record at the time and that makes them worthy of the number two spot on the list.
Best Los Angeles Lakers teams all-time: 1. 1971-72
Starters: Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim McMillian, Happy Hairston
Bench: Pat Riley, Flynn Robinson, Leroy Ellis, John Trapp, Jim Cleamons, Elgin Baylor
To find the number one team in Lakers’ franchise history you have to look back almost 30 years and the team that won the first championship in Los Angeles basketball history. That team was headlined by legendary stars Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, who helped lead the Lakers over the Knicks in the Finals that season.
It also included Gail Goodrich who is in the Basketball Hall of Fame and has his number retired by the team, with him and West the Lakers had two guards averaging 25 points per game on one team. They also had another tough guard named Pat Riley that was a solid player off the bench and his high basketball IQ led him to eventually coach the Lakers to four championships in the Showtime era.
The reason why this team ranks so high on the list is easily because of the two records they broke as a team that season.
They broke the records for most wins in a regular season with 69, which was eventually broken by the Bulls and Warriors, but it is still a Lakers franchise record. They also shattered the record for wins in a row with 33 straight victories and that record still stands and is considered one of the toughest to break in all of sports.
They are also tied for the most Hall of Fame Lakers in the starting line up and most Lakers with a number retired by the franchise.
So based on the results on the court, this team has to be considered as number one because they won the most games in the regular season and only lost three games in the postseason, two to a team that included a dominant young Kareem.
The only way this team could have been better is if Wilt was more in the prime of his career, at 35 he was not the same player that averaged 50 points in a season and scored 100 in a game. Let’s just say Wilt did not have the longevity that LeBron is having at age 35 in his career.
This ranking is also based on how they compared to their competition rather than comparing this team if they faced any of the teams ranked below them. Seeing West vs Bryant, or Shaq vs. Wilt or Kareem, or Goodrich vs. Payton, or LeBron vs Worthy, are all great hypothetical matchups but that is all they are is hypothetical.
Sometimes you have to respect your elders, and even though I did not have the benefit of seeing the 1971 Los Angeles Lakers with my own eyes, you still have to respect their place in history.
Notable Los Angeles Lakers Snubs: 2001-02, 1979-80, 2009-10, and 1998-99