Los Angeles Lakers: 50 Greatest Players in Lakers History (Updated 2023)
By Ed Schrenzel
Greatest Lakers of all time: 26- Bob McAdoo
- 4 seasons, 224 games, 2 titles
- 12.1 PPG
- 4.1 RPG
“McAdoo can do” provided tremendous offensive firepower as a backup at both center and power forward that helped fuel the Showtime Lakers success.
He essentially preceded Thompson as the big man off the bench, but his contributions were much different. Like Mychal, Bob had also been a high draft pick (#2 in 1972), and became one of the best-shooting big men of all-time, the Kevin Durant of his generation. He averaged over 30 points a game three times, leading the NBA each time, and 25 or more in four other seasons, and was a 5-time all-star.
By the time McAdoo joined the Lakers early in the 1981-82 season, he was no longer the dominant player he once had been, and was unable to play major minutes on a regular basis. He had bounced around the league, playing for three different teams the past three seasons.
But Mac was the perfect big man to come off the bench to provide instant offense in relief of Kareem or alongside him at power forward. He was particularly effective during the 1982 playoffs, averaging nearly 17 points as the Lakers defeated the 76ers to win a title, and he was also a solid contributor to the 1985 championship team. Overall Bob ranks 33rd on the Lakers in PPG.