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Los Angeles Lakers: Top 30 greatest players of all-time

By Ben Beecken

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the first half while taking on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the first half while taking on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

The top 30 players in Los Angeles Lakers history is a star-studded list, and the top 10 is a legitimate who’s who of some of the NBA’s greatest. Let’s take a look.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had three ultra-dominant periods in their franchise history.

The first came with the team still in Minneapolis, as the George Mikan-led squad won five titles in six seasons from 1948 to 1954. The team won a title in 1972 with Wilt Chamberlain as their best player, and then another five titles in nine years, bridging the gap between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

The Phil Jackson–Kobe Bryant Lakers won five titles beginning with the 1999-2000 NBA season, featuring Shaquille O’Neal for the first three rings and Pau Gasol as the second-best player for the next two.

All that winning means that we have a loaded list of players to choose from. Without further ado, let’s get into it with No. 30.

30. player. 20. . Center. Los Angeles Lakers. Andrew Bynum

  • 7 seasons with Lakers (2005-12)
  • Averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks per game
  • 1x All-Star, 2x NBA champion with Lakers

Andrew Bynum might have had an overall underwhelming career compared to the (perhaps unfair) hype surrounding him after being selected as a high schooler in 2005, but his brief peak was vital to the Lakers NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.

Bynum was injury plagued for his entire eight-year career, only playing in more than 65 games in a season one time. His age-24 season in 2011-12 was his only All-Star campaign, as the seven-footer put up career-high in points (18.7) and rebounds (11.8) per game.

Bynum missed the entire 2012-13 season due to injury and split 26 games in Cleveland and Indiana in 2013-14 as a 26-year-old but hasn’t appeared in the NBA since.

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