Credit: Fadeaway World
Not many teams in sports history have been home to as many stars because the Lakers. Because the dawn of the NBA, the Purple and Gold have been a premier franchise, defined by winning, greatness, and the various electric personalities which have donned the famous jersey.
So when fans were asked to chop one in every of six Lakers (current and former) from the All-Time starting five, one might expect it to be a tough alternative.
In point of fact, the alternative was apparently pretty clear for the a whole bunch who voted in a single NBA Instagram poll. With 28% of the vote, Wilt Chamberlain got the ax from this hypothetical Lakers team, with LeBron coming in second at 23% of the vote. Kobe Bryant was last (and essentially the most secure) with just 5% of fans voting to present him the boot.
Wilt Chamberlain played throughout the 60s and 70s, which is an era that has develop into widely underappreciated by the NBA community today. As a Laker, he averaged 17.7 points and 19.2 rebounds per game on 60% shooting. He also won one title with the franchise in 1972. Those are pretty solid numbers for the 13x All-Star, but he is generally remembered for his time with the Warriors when he was in his prime and averaged over 41 points per game.
Compare that to guys like Kobe, Magic, Kareem, and Shaq (who’re generally known as Lakers first and virtual locks for the lineup), and it is simple to see why fans voted to kick him off L.A.’s All-Time starting five.
Regarding LeBron James, he’s the one energetic player on this list, so fans have a special attachment to the guy. While he has only spent 4 seasons as a Laker to date, he’s credited for saving this modern-day version of the team as his arrival allowed town to bring home the title in 2020.
But what do you think that? Is LeBron’s tenure in L.A. to date enough to place him in the identical breath as other Laker greats? How about Wilt? Should he be considered one in every of the five biggest Lakers ever?
Regardless of your answer, the entire players mentioned deserve credit and praise for what they were capable of accomplish, and the Lakers deserve credit for luring in so many high-profile players.
