Ranking 5 Worst Lakers starters of the Magic Johnson era

4. Kurt Rambis

This is no knock on Rambis. The fan favorite did a ton of dirty work for the Lakers and was a key part of why the team won, but he was their worst starter from 1981 to 1988.

There is no shame in that when the others are Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Norm Nixon, Byron Scott, and A.C. Green. That is four Hall of Famers, two additional All-Stars, and a player that won three championships and averaged 14.1 points per game for his career.

Rambis won four championships and was a key contributor on every team. During his first stint with the Lakers, he averaged 5.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 18.7 minutes per game over seven seasons. LA did not need another scorer or ball-handler. The Lakers had to have someone doing the dirty work like diving for loose balls. That was Rambis, and fans loved his energy.

The 6’9 forward played for three different teams over five seasons before returning to the Lakers in 1993 for his final two years in the NBA. Kurt Rambis is currently an advisor for the team and a key decision-maker. He is a Los Angeles Lakers legend, but that did not stop him from being the worst full-time starter of the Showtime era.