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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, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Lakers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 1. player. 20. . Center

  • 14 seasons with Lakers (1975-89)
  • Averaged 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game
  • 13x All-Star, 6x MVP, 5x NBA champion with Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the league by the name of Lew Alcindor following an outstanding career at UCLA. Alcindor was selected first-overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and dominated from day one, averaging a whopping 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds as a rookie.

After winning the NBA title in 1971, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to align with his recent conversion to Islam.

Abdul-Jabbar played four more seasons in Milwaukee before requesting a trade to either Los Angeles or New York. He was sent to the Lakers during the summer of 1975 and spent the rest of his career in purple and gold.

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Kareem was 28 years old and at the height of his powers when he was sent to L.A., but it took until the 1979-80 season for the Kareem-led Lakers to win. And while Abdul-Jabbar was the ripe-old age of 32, Magic Johnson, the No. 2 player on this list, was a 20-year-old rookie.

While some of the gaudy numbers faded a bit as Kareem aged, his teams became more productive. And let’s not get things muddled: Kareem averaging 20-plus points each season through age 38 is unbelievable. At age 41, he was still putting up double-figures in scoring in his final season in the NBA.

The Lakers would go on to win five championships in nine years, and it only makes sense that the franchises best overall decade and dynasty would be able to land its two best players in the top two slots on this countdown.

Next: Los Angeles Lakers: Top 10 point guards in franchise history

It would be hard to come up with an NBA franchise with a more impressive top 30 when it comes to their greatest players of all-time. And the top five? Unmatched. Lakers fans are lucky, as many NBA franchises would have even one of these all-time talents. They are why the Lakers are the gold standard for basketball excellence in the NBA.

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