Los Angeles Lakers Ultimate Highlight Reel: Kobe Bryant and Friends
Led by Kobe Bryant, the Black Mamba, and Phil Jackson, the Zen Master, the Los Angeles Lakers have carried on a tradition of excellence that very few professional sports franchises have been able to match.
The Lakers have 15 players and four head coaches in the Hall of Fame. Their all-time team is unrivaled by any other NBA franchise.
They have the highest winning percentage, and the most NBA Finals appearances in league history.
The only thing standing between them and being the undisputed greatest franchise in NBA history is one ring. They are one ring, one NBA championship away from tying their bitter rival, the Boston Celtics, for the most NBA titles.
This 2010 squad could be the one to put the city of Los Angeles on top of the basketball universe for good.
As a team that is vying for a three-peat, this year's squad is even more talented than its previous two championship rosters.
Three NBA All-Stars joined forces in Miami in order to dethrone the Lakers. The Celtics added big name veterans to have one more shot in June. It would be disrespectful to forget the young Orlando Magic.
Though all three threats play in a far inferior conference, none has been able to get off to a hotter start than the Lakers.
From top to bottom, no team can match the Lakers talent.
Here is the Los Angeles Lakers Ultimate Highlight, the best highlight video on the Internet for each individual player:
Sasha Vujacic
1 of 15The self-proclaimed "Machine" and one-year wonder is known as being one of the greatest shooters in the NBA, in practice.
He is still a quality role player and proved his worth by hitting two free throws in the closing seconds in Game 7 of this past NBA Finals.
Luke Walton
2 of 15Though he lacks the gift of athleticism, he boasts a skill no forward in the league can match.
Walton's passing ability is unbelievable. When on his game, he is a solid role player that can create plays effortlessly for his teammates.
Derrick Caracter
3 of 15
His high school hype once equaled LeBron James', but after character problems, he fell in the draft.
There is no great college videos of Caracter, but here are two clips of him showing what he can do on both ends of the court:
Devin Ebanks
4 of 15He fell in the draft to a team that let his doppelganger walk just an offseason before.
Practically a Trevor Ariza clone, but even more polished coming into the league.
Theo Ratliff
5 of 15He's been known as an elite shot blocker his entire career.
His athletic ability may be diminished, but he still holds worth as a designated shot-stuffer.
Steve Blake
6 of 15He's the efficient shooter brought in to replace the erratic playmaker.
In just a few weeks, his signing keeps looking better and better for the Lakers.
Matt Barnes
7 of 15With his signing, the Lakers are without a doubt, the fiercest perimeter defensive team in the league.
The zero penetration trio of himself, Kobe and Artest will give scorers fits all season long.
Shannon Brown
8 of 15He's a fan favorite and it's not hard to see why.
An energy player off the bench who can ignite a crowd at any moment, he's arguably the best in-game dunker in the NBA today.
Not to mention he's now lethal from beyond the arc.
Derek Fisher
9 of 15
In the locker room, he's the good cop to Kobe's bad cop.
He's one of the most clutch role players in NBA history and a necessary piece to five Laker championships.
It's a shame there is no great highlight video on him, because it would be a sick one.
Andrew Bynum
10 of 15The one thing between him and being the best offensive center in the game today is health.
He may not be able to match Dwight Howard's physical gifts, but he is superior in terms of footwork and post game.
Ron Artest
11 of 15He's a role player who shut down opponents between the lines, but wouldn't shut up outside them.
No perimeter player could equal his on-ball defense when he was on, and no one in the league could rival his post-game interview, stand-up comedy session.
Who else could have a one-season highlight video of himself taking the ball away from the offense for six minutes straight?
Lamar Odom
12 of 15One of the very few players in the NBA who can truly play all five positions on the court.
He's the definition of versatile.
From the sweet passing skills of a point guard to the rebounding ability of a center, there is no better all-around sixth man imaginable.
Pau Gasol
13 of 15Call him soft.
Call him weak.
Despite his "weaknesses," he is undeniably the most skilled big man in the NBA.
He completes the best perimeter-post combination in the league. Since joining the Lakers, no team has been more dominant.
Kobe Bryant
14 of 15Last, but definitely not least.
Fans can debate how he is ranked among today's top players until they're blue in the face, but no one can argue him being the hardest worker, the most hungry basketball player in the game today. No one else comes close.
He's often been described as having an "assassin's mentality" and possessing a "killer instinct," without a doubt garnering those descriptions from his ability to perform in crunch time and his relentless pursuit of victory.
Number 16
15 of 15To finish the Lakers Ultimate Highlight, the highlights of last year's championship run.
Back-to-back, No.5 for Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, No. 12 for Phil Jackson, and No. 16 for Lakers the franchise, and maybe best of all, over Boston.
David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist and Writing Intern at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him at One Yard Short.com or on Twitter
