**TOP 10 MAILDAY!!** 50 Greatest Lakers Project (Rolling Mailday)

I know it's something that has been discussed over the internet a number of times over the years, but the Lakers are a team full of History and depth and success which has gained them the position of being known Globally as one of sports most famous franchises.

Whether we love them or hate them, no basketball enthusiast can ignore the success they've achieved over the last 55 years, winning 16 championships and having almost too many All Stars and individual accolades from those who were lucky enough to put on the "purple & gold" to count.

As a Laker fan, I too have attempted to put together a version of this Top 50 list, and then try to own at least one Auto Card of them, a task that may be easier said than done. I've done research on Laker greats of the past, from both Los Angeles and Minneapolis and found there to be a number of playersr I was not familiar with who put up some awesome numbers or who purely do not get enough recognition today.

Criteria for the card that they must be wearing the Laker or College Uniform and may only bend this rule until such time another of them becomes available, a place holder as such. In some cases an auto may not be (realistically or otherwise) achievable so a RC, vintage or similar will do. I've also chosen to eliminate "one year stop over" players such as Payton, Malone, Rodman etc unless they won a ring in that time.

I'll update this thread as we go rather than start a new one every time.

OZCT members, I hope you all enjoy my Top 50 - feel free to discuss my rankings in this thread

Blue = incoming

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar


2. Magic Johnson (19.5ppg, 7.2rpg, 11.2apg, 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion, 9x All NBA 1st Team, 1x All NBA 2nd Team, 12x NBA All Star, 2x All Star MVP, Hall of Fame 2002, Coach of the Lakers)

3. Kobe Bryant

4. Jerry West (27ppg, 5.8rpg, 6.7apg, 2.6spg, 1x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 12x All NBA Team, 13x All Star, 1x All Star MVP, NBA logo modeled after him)


5. Shaquille O'Neal

6. Wilt Chamberlain

7. George Mikan

8. Elgin Baylor

9. James Worthy (17.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 3.0apg, 1.12spg, 1x Finals MVP, 3x NBA Champion, 2x All NBA 3rd team, 7x NBA All Star, Hall of Fame 2003)


10. Gail Goodrich (9 seasons with the Lakers, Career averages of 18.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.7apg, x1 NBA champion, x5 All Star, number retired by the Lakers)


11. Byron Scott (3x NBA champion, All Rookie First Team, 11 Seasons with the Lakers, Career Averages of 14.1ppg, 2.5apg, 1.1spg)


12. Michael Cooper (8.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.2apg, 5 NBA Championships, Defensive Player of the Year 1987, 5 time All-Defensive 1st team, 3 time All Defensive 2nd team)


13. Pau Gasol (18.3ppg, 9.2rpg, 1.6bpg - 2 NBA Championships with LA, 7 seasons)

14. Jamaal Wilkes

15. Vern Mikkelsen

16. Lamar Odom (13.3ppg, 8.4rpg, 3.7apg - 7 seasons in LA, 2 NBA Championships, sixth man award 2010-11)


17. Norm Nixon

18. Vlade Divac

19. Derek Fisher (8.4ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.0apg - 13 seasons in LA, 5 NBA Championships)


20. AC Green

21. Rudy LaRusso

22. Happy Hairston

23. Nick Van Exel

24. Rick Fox

25. Eddie Jones

26. Bob McAdoo (12.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 49% Career FG shooting, 2 time NBA Champion, Hall of Fame 2000)


27. Robert Horry (7.0ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.1apg - 7 seasons in LA, 3 NBA Championships)


28. Mychal Thompson

29. Glen Rice

30. Andrew Bynum (11.5ppg, 7.1rpb, 1.6bpg - 7 seasons in LA, 2 championships)


31. Jim Pollard

32. Jim McMillian

33. Pat Riley

34. (Melbourne's own) Sedale Threatt

35. Cedric Ceballos

37. Brian Shaw

38. Sam Perkins

39. Ron Harper

40. Metta World Peace

41. Cazzie Russell

42. Horace Grant

43. Elden Campbell

44. Frank Selvy

45. Kurt Rambis (4.9ppg, 5.5rpg, 55% FG - 4 time NBA Champion)


46. Clyde Lovellette

47. Kermit Washington

48. Dick Barnett

49. Leroy Ellis

50. Slater Martin

space if needed

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Interesting project, this is an article related to your project:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ve-the-50-greatest-lakers-of-all-time/page/51
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/gallery/?id=4752944

IMO, you should probably extend to more than the players - coaches should be included. Hehe, I'm just making your project interesting!

I also have your top3 in my list. Kareem, Magic and Kobe in no particular order =)

I'm uploading photos now of what I currently own, plus have some incoming check back in an hour or two!

Good luck with the project mate, love the idea.

ozballer23 said:

Good luck with the project mate, love the idea.

Click to expand...

Thanks norm! Thought it was something different. Once adding in things like no of years, rings won as well as normal stats it made it tricky as to who ranked where. Example being I'm still not sure Andrew Bynum belongs on this list at all but achievements say otherwise.

The Jerry West and Magic Johnson were today's mailday by the way

Good idea mate - but better start saving for a Chamberlain now!

This will be great (go lakers)

Great concept idea for a chase mate, only drama I see so far is the Horry card has him listed with the Spurs

Good luck with the chase

great project, I wish you good luck

Mailday! Today brings in the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant! Magic Johnson calls him the greatest laker ever, he comes in at #3 in my rankings tho! His stats are too many to list, I'm sure you all know them tho

this is a great idea, good luck completing it! Nice looking Kobe also!

Thanks! Now you've commented you'll be getting all my updates too! Mwahahaha... Lol

Kareem mailday - This is why he's number 1 on my list:

• 6x NBA Champion,
  
• 2x finals MVP,
  
• 6x MVP,
  
• 19x All Star,
  
• 10x All NBA First Team,
  
• 5x All NBA Second Team,
  
• 11x All Defensive Team,
  
• 1970 Rookie of the Year,
  
• 2x Scoring Champion,
  
• 4x blocks leader,
  
• All Time NBA Career Scoring Leader,
  
• Number retired by 2 clubs,
• 2x Champion as an Assistant Coach (Lakers 2009-10)
• 70 Career 40 point games
  
• Career Averages of 24.6ppg, 11.2rpg, 2.5bpg

And for anyone wanting a piece of Kareem History (and is cashed up)...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/220669170538

Had another top 10 roll in today! Mr Gail Goodrich

9 seasons with the Lakers, Career averages of 18.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.7apg, x1 NBA champion, x5 All Star, number retired by the Lakers

Little known fact: Goodrich ranks third amongst all time scorers of LEFT HANDED players, with a career tally of 19,181.

He also ranks highly in All Time Laker stats: total points (sixth, 13,044), assists (seventh, 2,863), free throws made (seventh, 2,830) and games played (ninth, 687) and played a key role in the Lakers drafting Magic Johnson.

From Wikipedia:
"When he signed with the Jazz in 1976, per league rules at the time, the Lakers were to receive compensation for losing a veteran free agent. The Lakers and Jazz agreed to send New Orleans' regular first-round pick from the 1979 draft to Los Angeles (along with first-round picks in 1977 and 1978 and an additional second-round pick). When the Jazz finished the 1978-79 season with the worst record in the NBA, the Lakers were eligible for one of the top two picks of that draft. Until 1985, the two teams with the worst records flipped a coin to determine which team would receive the top pick. The Lakers won the coin flip against the Chicago Bulls, who selected David Greenwood second. The Lakers selected Magic Johnson."

What a great idea,should do the same with the heat!

parra lettics said:

What a great idea,should do the same with the heat!

Click to expand...

You should, would love to see your rankings!

Hey........where 7s Rodman, Nash and Malone in this list?

Nice project! Keep them coming.

parra lettics said:

What a great idea,should do the same with the heat!

Click to expand...

I would also love to see your heats one.....some nice names there.