The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the most historied franchise in NBA history, even ahead of the Boston Celtics, as they won most of their titles during the Bill Russell era.
That means the Purple and Gold have had the vast majority of NBA legends, or at least the most when compared to other franchises.
With that in mind, putting together a list of the top five most important Lakers is a tough task, but there are a few guys that just have to be there.
In response to Jeanie Buss’ controversial list, Chris Broussard of FS1 put together his very own, which goes as follows:
Here’s @Chris_Broussard ’s breakdown of the Top 5 Most Important Lakers. And yes, he included Shaq. 👀 pic.twitter.com/YW4xxAyPyR
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) July 6, 2023
After not even making Buss’ list, Shaquille O’Neal got the nod at No. 5, which only makes sense, given that he was the main character in their last three-peat, not to mention the most dominant player of his era.
Jerry West was his choice at No. 4, a lifelong Laker that continued to give it all to the organization even after his retirement as a player, although he doesn’t seem to be on good terms with Buss.
At No. 3, Broussard chose Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, perhaps the very first superstar who forced his way out to a big market and the best player in the league by a long margin in his prime.
Unsurprisingly, Kobe Bryant made the list at No. 2, granted that he won five rings with them, spent his entire career with the organization, and became one of the greatest players of all-time.
Last but not least, he chose Magic Johnson, arguably the greatest point guard of all time and the guy who led the team through the most crucial time in franchise history.
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