All-Time Los Angeles Lakers Starting Five

Seventeen championships. More Hall of Famers than any other roster could field in three lifetimes. The Lakers' all-time five isn't a debate — it's a list of the four hardest cuts.

Draft this lineup: Build the Lakers all-time five and simulate 82 games.

The Starting Five

  • PGMagic Johnson

    1980s

    Five rings, three MVPs, and the best passer in NBA history at 6-foot-9.

  • SGKobe Bryant

    2000s

    Two three-peats, an MVP, and 81 in a single night. The franchise's modern face.

  • SFLeBron James

    2020s

    Brought a title to LA in 2020 and is the franchise's all-time leader in nightly box-score destruction.

  • PFElgin Baylor

    1960s

    27/14/4 for a career before the dunk was televised. Modernized the wing position.

  • CKareem Abdul-Jabbar

    1970s–80s

    Six MVPs, six rings, the unstoppable skyhook. The franchise's ceiling at the five.

Honorable mentions

Shaquille O'Neal · Jerry West · Wilt Chamberlain · James Worthy. Any of these could swap in depending on which positional gap you want to plug.

Want to put the Lakers five up against today's field?

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