In many ways, the Los Angeles Lakers are the gold standard for success in the NBA. They are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most NBA championships with 17 and have built their brand into one of the most recognizable in the world over the last 77 years. To reach this level of success, the Lakers have been a place where NBA legends build their legacies and live in the spotlight of Hollywood simultaneously.
Using the greatest players at every position who have built the Lakers from the ground up, we have put together the greatest combination of a starting lineup, and full bench, and selected a coach to lead the way. This is based solely on each player’s contributions to the Lakers and their achievements while wearing the purple and gold. The lineup you see below is easily in contention for the greatest all-time lineup for any team in NBA history.
Guard – Magic Johnson
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Championships (with Lakers): 5
Career Stats (with Lakers): 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 3x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 10x All-NBA Team Selection
The Lakers start extremely fortunate as home to the greatest point guard in NBA history for 13 seasons from 1980 through 1996. Magic Johnson was the face of the Showtime era for the Lakers during the 1980s, leading the team to five NBA championships in nine seasons from 1980 through 1988, claiming three Finals MVPs and three regular-season MVPs along the way.
It all started as a rookie in 1980 when Johnson filled in for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 and delivered one of the most iconic performances in NBA history with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to seal the series and capture his first Finals MVP award. He would win two more in 1982 and 1987 as well as two other championships in 1985 and 1988.
What stands out about Magic’s game more than anything else was the pace he played with and his playmaking abilities as a large 6’9’’ point guard. Johnson’s fast-break instincts and court vision will give the Lakers an immediate advantage over any team that opposes them with their all-time lineup.
Guard – Kobe Bryant
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Championships (with Lakers): 5
Career Stats (with Lakers): 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Achievements: (with Lakers): 2x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 18x All-Star, 4x All-Star Game MVP, 15x All-NBA Team Selection, 12x All-Defensive Team Selection
Just two players into the Lakers’ all-time lineup and already we have 10 NBA championships between the two most iconic players in franchise history. Kobe Bryant takes his rightful place in the all-time Lakers lineup next to Magic Johnson after devoting 20 years of his life to the organization.
From 1997 through 2016, Bryant helped the Lakers win five NBA championships. The first three came alongside Shaquille O’Neal by way of a three-peat from 2000-2002. Bryant would then lead the Lakers and claim both of his Finals MVP awards long after O’Neal left in 2009 and 2010. Bryant is not only a five-time NBA champion but he is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 33,643 points as well as their all-time leader in games played, steals, and usage percentage.
Bryant and Johnson will make magic, no pun intended, in the backcourt for the Lakers’ all-time starting lineup. In addition to being one of the best scorers in NBA history, Bryant is also one of the Lakers’ best defensive threats in their lineup, evidenced by his NBA-record 12 All-Defensive Team selections by a guard. With Magic and Bryant leading the charge, the Lakers’ all-time lineup is already as lethal as it gets.
Guard – Jerry West
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Championships (with Lakers): 1
Career Stats (with Lakers): 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 1x Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 12x All-NBA Team Selection, 5x All-Defensive Team Selection
The Lakers continue to load up on offensive firepower and elite two-way play with the addition of Jerry West to their all-time starting lineup. From 1961 through 1974, West spent his entire career with the Lakers, becoming one of the greatest guards in NBA history and leading the Lakers to nine NBA Finals in 14 seasons with one championship coming in 1972.
West was a scoring machine armed with one of the smoothest jump shots in NBA history without the grace of a three-point line. West averaged 27.0 points per game for his career and recorded four different seasons of 30.0 points per game or more as well as 11 seasons with 25.0 points per game or more. Despite the absence of defensive stats at the time, West was an elite defender on the perimeter as well.
West is yet another weapon Magic Johnson can use at his leisure on the offensive side of the ball. Along with Bryant, West’s strong perimeter defense will initiate a ton of transition and fast-break opportunities for the Lakers, leading to Magic’s pick of the litter when leading the offense. West’s shooting gives the Lakers even more spacing as well which will be key to their success considering how clogged the paint is going to be.
Center – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Championships (with Lakers): 5
Career Stats (with Lakers): 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.5 BPG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 1x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 13x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Team Selection, 7x All-Defensive Team Selection
This all-time Lakers lineup refuses to let up with the first member of their frontcourt being revealed as the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After six seasons with the Bucks, Kareem spent the final 14 seasons of his career with the Lakers from 1976 through 1989. In these 14 seasons, Kareem would win three of his NBA-record six MVP awards as well as help lead the team to five NBA championships and become the oldest Finals MVP ever in 1985.
To go along with his extremely efficient offense and scoring ability, Kareem was also an elite presence on the defensive side of the ball. He would lead the NBA three different times in blocks and averaged 2.6 per game in his Lakers career, owning the franchise record with 2,694. Armed with his signature skyhook and with Magic Johnson as his point guard, Kareem was unstoppable for most of his Los Angeles tenure.
We already know what Kareem and Magic can do on the court and how well that worked out for the rest of the league during the 1980s. Things become a true nightmare for opponents with the addition of Bryant, West, and O’Neal alongside them. Kareem should be one of the focal points of the Lakers’ offense while getting their fast-paced offense going with his elite protection of the rim.
Center – Shaquille O’Neal
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Championships (with Lakers): 3
Career Stats (with Lakers): 27.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.5 BPG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 3x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 7x All-Star, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 8x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection
In addition to all of the weapons already with the Lakers in their all-time starting lineup, we now get to arguably the most dominant player in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal. During his eight seasons with the Lakers, Shaq became the most unstoppable force the NBA had ever seen, leading the Lakers to three straight NBA championships from 2000 through 2002 and claiming all three Finals MVP awards in the process.
Shaq was not only a massive human being at 7’1’’ and pounds, but he was fast, agile, and incredibly powerful with every movement he made. O’Neal was so dominant during his Lakers career that teams often reverted to intentionally sending him to the free-throw line. Where he famously struggled, just to try and slow him down. It rarely, if ever, worked.
How do you guard a five-man lineup that now includes the most dominant big man in NBA history? Even if you figure out a way to slow down their fast break attack, the addition of O’Neal makes things just as big of an issue in a slower offense with defenses unable to throw everything they have at him. Any defense Shaq sees should be one he dominates when at his peak Lakers form.
Bench
Forward – LeBron James
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Championships (with Lakers): 1
Career Stats (with Lakers): 27.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 1x Finals MVP, 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team Selection
As if things weren’t already difficult enough for opponents, LeBron James is coming in off the bench as the Lakers’ all-time sixth man. James has been with the Lakers since the 2018-19 season and while many have assumed he would slow down during his time in Los Angeles, he has arguably looked better at times than he did during his prime.
In 2020, James helped lead the Lakers to their 17th title in franchise history during the NBA Bubble while winning his fourth career Finals MVP award. While he has struggled with injuries and a lack of real team success outside of 2020, he has remained the same lethal all-around offensive weapon that he always has been as a scorer and playmaker.
James’ spot off the bench provides the Lakers with a ton of wiggle room in how they use their lineup. He can easily come in and fill in for Magic as the initiator of their fast-paced offense, or he can fill in a scoring role for either West or Bryant when they need a breather. His versatility and relentless downhill attack make him the ultimate weapon off the bench for this absolutely loaded Lakers lineup.
Forward – James Worthy
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Championships: 3
Career Stats (with Lakers): 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 1x Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection
The second of three forwards to come off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers is none other than Big Game James Worthy. As a member of the Lakers from 1983 through 1994, Worthy was a member of three championship teams in 1985, 1987, and 1988. He spent his entire career in the purple and gold, becoming one of their most iconic players in the process.
Worthy’s greatest performance with the Lakers would come in the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons. In a decisive Game 7, Worthy would record 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead his team to victory, becoming Finals MVP in the process. For most of his Lakers tenure, Worthy was the perfect option for Magic next to Kareem and a stout defender on the perimeter as well.
Forward – Elgin Baylor
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Championships (with Lakers): 0
Career Stats (with Lakers): 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 1x Rookie Of The Year, 11x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 10x All-NBA Team Selection
Despite his glaring absence of a championship ring, Elgin Baylor’s contributions to the Lakers as a franchise cannot go unnoticed. Baylor and his playstyle were a contributing factor in the Lakers’ move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles during the early 1960s, noting his marketable success on the court.
Baylor was a relentless scorer, rebounder, and staunch defender who often played above the rim and with incredible pace. He adds yet another lethal scoring threat to the plethora of them riddled throughout this lineup. Baylor is another perfect replacement for West or Bryant off the bench as his scoring feats in both the regular season and playoffs are heavily noted in NBA history, giving the Lakers yet another huge advantage with their depth.
Center – George Mikan
Credit: Fadeaway World
Championships (with Lakers): 5
Career Stats (with Lakers): 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.2 APG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 4x All-Star, 1x All-Star MVP, 6x All-NBA Team Selection
Although George Mikan’s career lasted just seven seasons from 1949 through 1956, we could not have a Lakers lineup without the franchise’s first real superstar. Mikan was a force to be reckoned with for the Minneapolis Lakers, winning three straight scoring titles to begin his career with 28.0 points per game over that time.
In the NBA playoffs, he took his game to another level, averaging 24.0 points and 13.9 rebounds per game in his postseason career. This resulted in five NBA championships for Mikan and the Lakers, matching the likes of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in franchise history.
Center – Wilt Chamberlain
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Championships (with Lakers): 1
Career Stats (with Lakers): 17.7 PPG, 19.2 RPG, 4.3 APG
Career Achievements (with Lakers): 1x Finals MVP, 4x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection
The final five seasons of Wilt Chamberlain’s career were nothing compared to the dominance he had early on with the Warriors and 76ers. However, Chamberlain was unlike most stars with the Lakers later in his career as even as he was winding down, his production was still among the elite around the NBA and in Lakers history.
From 1969 through 1973, Chamberlain helped the Lakers reach four different NBA Finals, finally winning a championship in 1972 over the Knicks. Chamberlain was named Finals MVP of that series thanks to his dominance as a rebounder and defender, averaging 19.4 points and 23.2 rebounds per game. Even an older version of Wilt added to this lineup cements it as the greatest all-time lineup in NBA history.
Coach – Phil Jackson
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What good is an elite lineup of talent without an elite basketball mind to gel it all together and put a winning product out on the court? No coach in Lakers history fits that mold more perfectly than Phil Jackson. In 11 seasons as a coach of the Lakers, Jackson led them to seven NBA Finals appearances and five championships including a three-peat from 2000-2002 and back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
If there is any coach who can keep this lineup’s egos in check and their eyes on the prize, it is Phil Jackson and his system that led to 11 total championships as a coach between Chicago and L.A. as well as two more as a player with New York in the 1970s.
The Greatest All-Time Lineup In NBA History
The Los Angeles Lakers can lay claim to the title of the greatest collection of talent to form an all-time roster in the history of the NBA. In total, there are 29 championships between the 10 players who make up this roster as well as five more from the coach as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Between their championship experience, playstyle, and overall greatness as players, there is just no way this team loses any series up against any other all-time lineup.
Offensively, there is no letting up when defending this team even if they were to turn to their full second unit. The starting lineup is led by the greatest playmaker, passer, and facilitator in NBA history surrounded by four of the greatest scorers at their position in NBA history who can score any which way they want for the most part.
Off the bench, LeBron James steps into Magic’s role perfectly or you have the luxury of having two Magic’s on the court at the same time.
Rebounds should never be a battle this team loses either with the four-center rotation of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and George Mikan. Defensively, this team is a wall in their frontcourt, and that’s even if opponents figure out how to penetrate their already stifling perimeter defense.
Take one more look folks, the collection of talent just presented to you is the greatest you will ever see again from one NBA franchise.
