Best of the Best Part 2

Jack posing with Cooper, Scott, Rambis and Magic

Hello Again!

This is part 2 of the Best of the Best: the best Lakers players by position. If you've made it back for the conclusion of this post, you're either a die hard, a sadist, or just plain bored out of your mind. Either way, welcome home. 

Last week we covered the front court positions (Center, Power Forward, Small Forward). This week I'll cover the back court (Point Guard and Shooting Guard). You ready? Let's Go!

SHOOTING GUARD

Kobe Celebrates as the Lakers beat the Celtics in game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals

#1 Kobe Bryant.

I have been fortunate in my years as a fan of this sport to have witnessed some great basketball by some great players. Mr. Bryant is indeed one of the greatest I’ve ever seen.

Through thick and thin, through the good times and the bad, Kobe stuck it out and stuck around. Along the way he shattered many Lakers records, won a scoring title, scored 81 points in a single game, and was awarded an MVP trophy. Oh…and he is the proud owner of five championship rings. To put it in his own worlds: "I've got one more than Shaq." 

Kobe’s work ethic and his supernatural abilities will be forever cherished by Lakers fans. Chances are, if you only went to a few games in these past 20 years, you probably witnessed a great Kobe moment. There were a lot of them…and who knows? There may be a few more.

#2 Gail Goodrich

Another hall of famer, a former UCLA star, and a member of the 1972 Championship team, Goodrich spent nine seasons, in two different stints, with the Lakers. The best years of his career were in the purple and gold, but like Happy Hairston, he isn't mentioned enough for my tastes. 

Goodrich and West

This five time all-star was also a great passer for a shooting guard, and he was a perfect fit alongside Jerry West on that first Lakers championship team. 

Bryon Scott

#3 Byron Scott

The current head coach of the Lakers served most of his time in Lakers uniform during the great “Showtime” era. A member of three Lakers championship teams, Bryon was a just as much a threat to take it to the basket as he was from long range. 

Like James Worthy, Scott's point totals probably would have been greater on another team. He was also a capable defender, and a good finisher on the fast break. For his final season in the NBA, he opted for a 2nd stint with the Lakers and acted as a mentor to an 18 year-old Kobe Bryant.

POINT GUARD

The Magic Man

#1 Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is my favorite player of all time, and one of the main reasons I started playing hoops. Earvin "Magic" Johnson changed the game, changed a franchise, and like Oscar Robertson before him, further evolved the traditional thinking of the point guard position. When Magic was on the floor, it was “winning time.” 

His flair for deft passing, and his ability to score in the most difficult of situations, helped guide the Lakers through the Showtime era. From the 1979-1980 season to the 1990-1991 campaign, Magic and the Lakers made 9 appearances in the NBA Finals, and took home 5 championship trophies. I can't imagine a 1980's Lakers teams without him.

 

Bird and Magic...Forever Locked Up in NBA Lore

In 1979, when Magic and Larry Bird entered the league, they breathed life into a slumping NBA. Their epic battles against each other in the Finals are some of the greatest moments in NBA playoffs history. Magic is another individual who should be placed in the argument as the best ever.

#2 Jerry West

It would have to take a player like Magic Johnson to bump a legend like Jerry West to number 2. I could have easily have placed him in the shooting guard category, but I think he's a better fit here. He actually led the league one season in assists, but it was his shooting touch most remember. 

A man with his skills should have more than one ring as a player on his finger, alas it isn't so. He was a great scorer who could pass and rebound, and was a fierce competitor. 

And what is the ultimate tribute to Jerry? Every player in the league, and millions of fans everywhere, honor is legacy on a daily basis: his silhouette is still the official NBA logo some 40 plus years after his retirement. One last note: I still wish he was our GM (no offense Mitch Kupchak!)

Norm Nixon

#3 Norm Nixon

Though he had a short stint with the Lakers, Nixon was a true professional, and a fine ball player. In a sense, it was like having two point guards during the four seasons he and Magic shared the back court. Nixon could push the break with his speed, and finish it with a fine shooting touch. 

He was eventually traded to the Clippers for the rights to Bryon Scott in 1983. But Lakers fans still remember the short point guard with the gold chain, and the shooter's touch. 

Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper Honorable Mention
Yet another guy I just had to fit in somewhere: Michael Cooper. I could have gone with Nick Van Excel, who was adequate for the Lakers in the lean years of the early 90's, but Cooper had a greater impact. When Magic came out out the game for a rest, Cooper came in. 

He ran the point, always guarded the other team's best wing player, and gave us the "Coop-A-Loop." I never really fretted when he'd spell Magic during a game. His athleticism and determined competitiveness would have earned him a starting role on most other teams. He was fun to watch.

Well there you have it. The greatest Lakers in their respective positions. Sorry if your favorite player didn't make it, or is ranked lower than you'd expect. This is a subjective list after all. Please feel free to disagree and offer counter arguments. It's all in good fun, and its Lakers, a team we all enjoy. I'd love to see your lists in the comments as well.

Just a quick nod to several players that almost made the list, but fell short for one reason or another: Derek Fisher, Nick Van Exel, Sedale Threat, Eddie Jones, Jim McMillian, Elmore Smith, Elden Campbell, Horace Grant, Bob McAdoo, Darrall Imhoff, Andrew Bynum, Mychal Thompson and last, but not least, Lamar Odom – get well soon!

Next week I'll preview the upcoming 2015-2016 season. Till then, the mustard's off the hot dog! Right Chick?

The Venerable Chick Hearn