Los Angeles Lakers: 50 Greatest Players in Lakers History (Updated 2023)
By Ed Schrenzel
Greatest Lakers of all time: 15- Byron Scott
- 11 seasons, 846 games, 3 titles
- 15.1 PPG
- 2.8 APG
The Lakers traded Nixon for Scott, who finished out the Showtime decade as a high-flyer on the fast break and key outside shooter. He ranks 20th in PPG and 9th in total points and is tied for 8th in games played
Byron, a graduate of Morningside High School in Inglewood, ended up playing in his home city at the Fabulous Forum with the Lakers, where he flourished as a Showtime backcourt partner of Magic Johnson for 8 seasons. He was an outstanding finisher on the fast break, where he often exploded for thunderous dunks, and was also the team’s best outside shooter.
The team had so many offensive weapons that Scott was usually only the 4th or at best 3rd option. Still, he was an integral contributor to 3 championship teams, two of them against the hated Celtics, and even led the team in scoring in the 1987-88 season, when he averaged 21.7 PPG.
After leaving in free agency to explore opportunities with other teams, Byron returned to the Lakers in 1996-97 for his final NBA season. That year he helped mentor rookie Kobe Bryant and the two formed a close relationship that continued when Scott coached the Lakers for Kobe’s final two seasons.