During a recent episode on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was asked who the five most important Lakers of all time are.
The general initially listed Lakers champions Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
“You have to start with Kareem and Kobe and LeBron,” Buss said while conversing with hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. “Magic. Yes of course, Magic. Magic might be No. 1.”
While Buss struggled with her fifth choice for the illustrious list, she was aided with the suggestion of Phil Jackson by Barnes.
“Does he count as a Laker?” Buss asked Barnes. “Then, Phil.”
Of course, the Lakers have numerous players who represented the franchise with honor, excellence and pride.
Some of the other notable legends include three-time champion Shaquille O’Neal, 1969 NBA Finals MVP Jerry West and 11-time All-Star Elgin Baylor.
James, 36, has the shortest Lakers tenure of any player mentioned. The four-time MVP signed with the franchise in the summer of 2018.
In his first season with the Lakers, he got injured and ended up not having a strong enough supporting cast to take the team into the 2019 playoffs.
However, James’ second year in the Purple and Gold was a whole different story. The veteran led the Lakers through the death of Bryant, the coronavirus pandemic, tumultuous racial tensions and the difficulty of the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla.
In the end, the James carried the Lakers to the 2020 championship. He became the first player in league history to win a Finals MVP trophy with three different franchises.
