Over the course of the long and storied history of the Los Angeles Lakers, many all-time greats have worn the Purple and Gold and helped bring championships to the City of Angels. From the inception of the NBA in the 1940s until today, no franchise has carried more relevance and history.
Not all historically great players were created equal, and some have carried more value in the pursuit of championships than others. To help us measure this value, we can use a unique statistic called Player Efficiency Rating, or PER.
Initially developed by ESPN columnist John Hollinger, this relatively new statistical category produces a number that is a direct indicator of any given player's overall impact on a per-minute basis. It takes into account both positive and negative contributions and then produces a number reflective of how the player affected the game.
While this statistic is not perfect, using PER data for a player's entire career can give us a rounded picture of what they brought to the table and how effective they were in their role. A PER of 15 indicates a league-average level player, with 20 being an All-Star level player and 25 or higher being MVP level.
With that in mind, these 10 Lakers have the highest Player Efficiency Ratings in franchise history. The number listed after each player's name represents their PER during the portion of their career they spent with the Lakers.
10. Clyde Lovellette - 22.2
One of the pioneers of the NBA game, Clyde Lovellette began his professional basketball career with the Lakers back when they were still located in Minneapolis. Between 1953 and 1957, he earned two All-Star nominations, All-NBA Second Team Honors, and won a championship during his rookie season in 1953-54.
In the later days of the legendary George Mikan's playing days, he was dealing with a knee injury that limited his abilities more than he was used to. Lovellette's presence, even as a rookie, was enough to allow the aging Mikan to thrive, and the two led the Lakers to the 1954 NBA championship, defeating the Syracuse Nationals in the Finals in seven games.
Clyde won at every level throughout his career. He was the first basketball player to win an NCAA championship, NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal. All those accomplishments combined with his 11-year NBA career was enough to land him in the Hall of Fame in 1988. His scoring ability and athleticism helped put the Lakers on the map in their formative years.