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Lakers All-Time First, Second, Third and Honorable Mention Teams

By | September 19, 2012|

First Team

Magic Johnson – PG

Jerry West – SG

Kobe Bryant – SF

Pau Gasol – PF

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – C

Picking the franchise’s all-time first team was relatively easy. But I did bend the rules a little bit at the small forward position. Instead of having to make the near impossible decision to leave Kobe or West off the team, I slid Kobe to small forward (he has played at the position sporadically throughout his career) to make room for both of the Laker legends.

Both players have legitimate arguments for being the best Laker of all-time, more or less the best shooting guard.

Pau Gasol stands out like a sore thumb with the other members of the first team. But the Lakers don’t’ necessarily have a tradition of great power forwards.

Also, Gasol has been remarkably good in his time with the Lakers. Two championships, three All-Star Teams and three All-NBA Teams highlight the Spaniard’s resume.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeXZY4eVLlo

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About the author

Josh Sexton

Josh Sexton is one of the newest writers for Lakers Nation. He has been following the Lakers since the 1994-95 season. You can follow Josh on Twitter @Josh_Sexton85

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  • boyer

    Come on, Wilt as honorable mention?  If you’re bending the rules at SG, then bend the rules for PF, very inconsistent.  Let’s be rule, West is nowhere near Kobe level.

  • http://www.facebook.com/anthony.carter.52035 Anthony Carter

    Don’t agree with gasol on first team. Would have worthy Baylor Shaquille or wilt there

    • Jnshobbs

      Totally agree…Worthy over Gasol!!!!

    • Guildtank

      Worthy, Baylor, Shaq or Wilt are not Power Forwards

  • Awesome

     Ebanks looks like Jamaal Wilkes

  • PATRON

    Big shot BOB won how many BIG TIME PLAYOFF games for the LAKERS and has how many rings, hello 7……..just saying……

    • KobeBryant24

      7 rings from LA, Houston and the Spurs… Not just the Lakers. Though I do agree wit you that he deserves the respect.

  • Anan

    I’m only half joking, but I think Kobe stole all of Jerry West’s moves.  Seriously, I had no idea how much that highlight reel of West looked like early kobe.  Then kobe added all of mj’s moves.  Now he need s to take all Ray allen’s moves next.  

    • boyer

      And whose moves to West steal?  And whose moves did Jordan steal?  And on and on and on.  Kobe has learned from the past greats and studies countless hours on how to improve his own game, while adding new wrinkles of his own.  There’s only so many moves that you can do on the basketball court, of course it’s going to get repetitive at some pt.  We’ve already seen Lebron try to copy Kobe’s moves with the behind the backboard shot and reverse pivot from the elbow, unsuccessfully I might add.

  • Jthomas

    It’s tough to pick players based on modern positions, because they were just centers, forwards, and guards 40 years ago.  You also need to consider more Minneapolis players.  Any player that receives special honors from the franchise needs to be included (e.g. Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, and Clyde Lovellette).

    My first team:
    C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    PF Pau Gasol
    SF Elgin Baylor
    SG Kobe Bryant
    PG Magic Johnson

    Second Team
    C Shaquille O’Neal
    PF Jim Pollard
    SF James Worthy
    SG Jerry West
    PG Gail Goodrich

    Third Team
    C Wilt Chamberlain
    PF Clyde Lovellette
    SF Jamaal Wilkes
    SG Byron Scott
    PG Slater Martin

    Honorable Mentions
    C George Mikan
    PF Rudy LaRusso
    SF Vern Mikkelson
    SG Michael Cooper
    PG Norm Nixon