Los Angeles Lakers history · NBA regular season

The 25 Greatest Los Angeles Lakers of All Time

Jerry West ranks No. 1 after producing 6,442.6 Franchise Value across 14 seasons for this franchise and its included historical identities. Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Elgin Baylor complete the top five. This ranking covers 1950–51 through 2025–26.

25 ranked players1950–51 through 2025–26 franchise coverage1,000 minimum minutesRegular season only

See the full top 25 How the ranking works

The answer at a glance

The top five

Franchise Value estimates how many regular-season points above a replacement-level player someone produced for this franchise. It rewards both strong seasons and staying power.

No. 1
Jerry West
6,442.6Franchise Value
14 seasons · 932 games
27 PPG · 5.8 RPG · 6.7 APG
No. 2
Magic Johnson
6,378.2Franchise Value
13 seasons · 906 games
19.5 PPG · 7.2 RPG · 11.2 APG
No. 3
Kobe Bryant
6,095.6Franchise Value
20 seasons · 1,346 games
25 PPG · 5.2 RPG · 4.7 APG
No. 4
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6,086.4Franchise Value
14 seasons · 1,093 games
22.1 PPG · 9.4 RPG · 3.3 APG
No. 5
Elgin Baylor
4,808.8Franchise Value
14 seasons · 846 games
27.4 PPG · 13.5 RPG · 4.3 APG

The full list

The full top 25

Every name links to a full career profile. The best-season rank is the player’s leaguewide Impact Rate rank for that season.

1
Jerry West
6,442.6 value · 14 seasons · best: 1965–66
6,442.6Franchise Value
14 seasons1960–61 to 1973–74
1965–66Impact Rate No. 2
27 / 5.8 / 6.7PPG / RPG / APG
2
Magic Johnson
6,378.2 value · 13 seasons · best: 1989–90
6,378.2Franchise Value
13 seasons1979–80 to 1995–96
1989–90Impact Rate No. 2
19.5 / 7.2 / 11.2PPG / RPG / APG
3
Kobe Bryant
6,095.6 value · 20 seasons · best: 2005–06
6,095.6Franchise Value
20 seasons1996–97 to 2015–16
2005–06Impact Rate No. 3
25 / 5.2 / 4.7PPG / RPG / APG
4
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6,086.4 value · 14 seasons · best: 1975–76
6,086.4Franchise Value
14 seasons1975–76 to 1988–89
1975–76Impact Rate No. 1
22.1 / 9.4 / 3.3PPG / RPG / APG
5
Elgin Baylor
4,808.8 value · 14 seasons · best: 1960–61
4,808.8Franchise Value
14 seasons1958–59 to 1971–72
1960–61Impact Rate No. 1
27.4 / 13.5 / 4.3PPG / RPG / APG
6
Shaquille O'Neal
3,405.7 value · 8 seasons · best: 1999–00
3,405.7Franchise Value
8 seasons1996–97 to 2003–04
1999–00Impact Rate No. 1
27 / 11.8 / 3.1PPG / RPG / APG
7
LeBron James
2,980.7 value · 8 seasons · best: 2019–20
2,980.7Franchise Value
8 seasons2018–19 to 2025–26
2019–20Impact Rate No. 5
25.9 / 7.7 / 7.9PPG / RPG / APG
8
Wilt Chamberlain
2,421.7 value · 5 seasons · best: 1972–73
2,421.7Franchise Value
5 seasons1968–69 to 1972–73
1972–73Impact Rate No. 2
17.7 / 19.2 / 4.3PPG / RPG / APG
9
James Worthy
1,995.9 value · 12 seasons · best: 1989–90
1,995.9Franchise Value
12 seasons1982–83 to 1993–94
1989–90Impact Rate No. 28
17.6 / 5.1 / 3PPG / RPG / APG
10
Pau Gasol
1,651.8 value · 7 seasons · best: 2010–11
1,651.8Franchise Value
7 seasons2007–08 to 2013–14
2010–11Impact Rate No. 8
17.7 / 9.9 / 3.5PPG / RPG / APG
11
Anthony Davis
1,612.4 value · 6 seasons · best: 2019–20
1,612.4Franchise Value
6 seasons2019–20 to 2024–25
2019–20Impact Rate No. 8
24.8 / 11 / 3.2PPG / RPG / APG
12
Lamar Odom
1,516.7 value · 7 seasons · best: 2005–06
1,516.7Franchise Value
7 seasons2004–05 to 2010–11
2005–06Impact Rate No. 35
13.7 / 9.5 / 3.7PPG / RPG / APG
13
Byron Scott
1,343.7 value · 11 seasons · best: 1987–88
1,343.7Franchise Value
11 seasons1983–84 to 1996–97
1987–88Impact Rate No. 20
15.1 / 3 / 2.8PPG / RPG / APG
14
Michael Cooper
1,341.0 value · 12 seasons · best: 1983–84
1,341.0Franchise Value
12 seasons1978–79 to 1989–90
1983–84Impact Rate No. 32
8.9 / 3.2 / 4.2PPG / RPG / APG
15
Vlade Divac
1,325.8 value · 8 seasons · best: 1994–95
1,325.8Franchise Value
8 seasons1989–90 to 2004–05
1994–95Impact Rate No. 14
12.2 / 8.5 / 2.6PPG / RPG / APG
16
Vern Mikkelsen
1,289.0 value · 9 seasons · best: 1951–52
1,289.0Franchise Value
9 seasons1950–51 to 1958–59
1951–52Impact Rate No. 7
14.7 / 9.4 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
17
George Mikan
1,218.5 value · 5 seasons · best: 1950–51
1,218.5Franchise Value
5 seasons1950–51 to 1955–56
1950–51Impact Rate No. 3
21.2 / 13.4 / 2.7PPG / RPG / APG
18
Eddie Jones
1,199.7 value · 5 seasons · best: 1996–97
1,199.7Franchise Value
5 seasons1994–95 to 1998–99
1996–97Impact Rate No. 21
15.2 / 3.8 / 3PPG / RPG / APG
19
Rudy LaRusso
1,099.9 value · 8 seasons · best: 1961–62
1,099.9Franchise Value
8 seasons1959–60 to 1966–67
1961–62Impact Rate No. 18
14.1 / 9.6 / 2.1PPG / RPG / APG
20
Gail Goodrich
1,037.8 value · 9 seasons · best: 1971–72
1,037.8Franchise Value
9 seasons1965–66 to 1975–76
1971–72Impact Rate No. 35
19 / 3 / 4.2PPG / RPG / APG
21
A.C. Green
980.0 value · 9 seasons · best: 1992–93
980.0Franchise Value
9 seasons1985–86 to 1999–00
1992–93Impact Rate No. 61
10.6 / 7.7 / 1.1PPG / RPG / APG
22
Robert Horry
838.9 value · 7 seasons · best: 2001–02
838.9Franchise Value
7 seasons1996–97 to 2002–03
2001–02Impact Rate No. 27
6.3 / 5.5 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
23
Happy Hairston
836.9 value · 6 seasons · best: 1973–74
836.9Franchise Value
6 seasons1969–70 to 1974–75
1973–74Impact Rate No. 25
15.2 / 12.4 / 2.3PPG / RPG / APG
24
Jim Pollard
836.7 value · 5 seasons · best: 1951–52
836.7Franchise Value
5 seasons1950–51 to 1954–55
1951–52Impact Rate No. 9
12.6 / 7.8 / 3.2PPG / RPG / APG
25
Jamaal Wilkes
782.9 value · 8 seasons · best: 1980–81
782.9Franchise Value
8 seasons1977–78 to 1984–85
1980–81Impact Rate No. 71
18.4 / 5.4 / 2.6PPG / RPG / APG

What separates the list

Peak and staying power

The main order uses total Franchise Value. These views show who supplied the biggest single seasons and who contributed across the most seasons.

Why No. 1

Why Jerry West leads

Jerry West produced 6,442.6 Franchise Value, 64.3 more than Magic Johnson. His best team season was 1965–66, when he ranked No. 2 in leaguewide Impact Rate.

If you put more weight on playoff moments, championships, or awards, your order may differ. This list does not quietly fold those judgments into the number.

Most seasons among the top 25

Kobe Bryant · 20 seasons

Kobe Bryant logged 1,346 games and 48,637 regular-season minutes across 1996–97 to 2015–16.

Best individual seasons

1
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar1975–76 · Impact Rate No. 1
869.9
2
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar1976–77 · Impact Rate No. 1
800.7
3
Shaquille O'Neal1999–00 · Impact Rate No. 1
721.7
4
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar1978–79 · Impact Rate No. 1
687.1
5
Elgin Baylor1960–61 · Impact Rate No. 1
684.7

Franchise Value leaders by decade

1950s
Vern MikkelsenMost value in the decade
1,289.0
1960s
Jerry WestMost value in the decade
4,931.9
1970s
Kareem Abdul-JabbarMost value in the decade
3,550.5
1980s
Magic JohnsonMost value in the decade
5,267.6
1990s
Shaquille O'NealMost value in the decade
1,628.3
2000s
Kobe BryantMost value in the decade
4,415.6
2010s
Kobe BryantMost value in the decade
1,072.6
2020s
LeBron JamesMost value in the decade
2,056.5

Just outside the list

Nos. 26–30

No. 26Nick Van Exel779.3
No. 27Andrew Bynum696.7
No. 28Clyde Lovellette683.6
No. 29Luka Dončić662.7
No. 30Sedale Threatt628.4

Method and limits

What this ranking measures

This is a model ranking, not a claim that one number settles every argument about franchise greatness.

Count only team value

We add the player’s hussEyquation Season Value only while he belonged to this franchise. A player needs at least 1,000 franchise minutes to qualify.

Split traded seasons

When a player changed teams, his season value is divided by the minutes played at each stop. In 1950–51, when minutes were not recorded, games are used instead.

Use one clear order

Higher total Franchise Value ranks first. Ties are broken by the player’s best leaguewide Impact Rate rank, then franchise minutes. Peak seasons and per-game stats are context, not hidden inputs.

Know what is missing

The model covers NBA regular seasons from 1950–51 onward. Playoffs, championships, awards, cultural importance, and ABA seasons are not inputs.

Sources and historical estimates: Team stints and conventional totals come from Basketball Reference; Franchise Value comes from the hussEyquation model. The site reconstructs missing box-score inputs through 1972–73. Exact Raw BPM inputs begin in 1973–74. In a traded season, the model has one combined season impact estimate; only the value allocation is split by team workload. Data were checked for this release on September 14, 2026. Read the full methodology.

Quick answers

Los Angeles Lakers ranking FAQ

Who is the greatest Los Angeles Lakers player of all time?

Within this NBA regular-season ranking, which begins in 1950–51, Jerry West ranks first with 6,442.6 Franchise Value produced for this franchise.

Who had the best single season in this ranking?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the highest team-season value in this dataset: 869.9 in 1975–76. He ranked No. 1 in leaguewide Impact Rate that season.

How are the top 25 ranked?

The order is total regular-season Franchise Value, which adds up value above replacement produced for this franchise. More value ranks higher.

Which earlier team names and locations are included?

Includes the Minneapolis Lakers.

Keep exploring

Greatest players for every NBA team

Move from this franchise to any of the other 29 current NBA teams, or compare these players with the leaguewide career ranking.

Leaguewide all-time rankings Current NBA team power rankings Jerry West’s full career profile