Lakers: Constructing the Franchise’s Mount Rushmore
By Jason Reed
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
To wrap up this proverbial Mount Rushmore of Lakers greats, we must end with no other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem is actually the only person on this list that was not a career Laker, however, his impact on the organization is still enormous.
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Kareem is a six-time NBA Champion, five of which coming with the showtime Lakers and Magic Johnson. Alongside being a six-time champion, Jabbar is a six-time MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time all-star, with countless more accolades. Although only three MVP awards did come with the Lakers, Jabbar is arguably the best center of all-time.
His famous sky hook along with his great inside scoring and stellar defense turned Jabbar into one of the most intimidating presences the NBA has seen. In his time, Jabbar dominated the NBA, and did so in tune to fantastic stats. Career averages of 24.6 points, 2.6 blocks, and 11.2 rebounds per game showcase his true dominance in the NBA.
Jabbar is not only one of the greatest players for the Lakers, but he is a polarizing figure. NBA fans around the league, Lakers fans or not, all know Jabbar’s coveted sky hook.
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Well, there it is. Although there is a long list of players that could easily have made this list, Elgin Baylor, Shaq, or James Worthy, these are the four players that sit atop the Lakers Mount Rushmore.