Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and the Most Popular Los Angeles Lakers Ever
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most popular and most successful franchises in all of pro basketball.
The Lakers have had plenty of great players come through the city, but not all of them have been popular during their stay. With that in mind, we're breaking down the 20 most popular Lakers of all-time. We're counting everyone that made the Lakers great, so a lot of names are in play, so be ready for some possible surprises.
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No. 20: Nick Van Exel
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Who could ever forget Nick the Quick?
Nick Van Exel teamed up with Eddie Jones in the mid-1990s and helped bring the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Van Exel did it with his flashy play, blazing speed and thrilling buzzer beaters that captivated fans along the way.
Van Exel hopped around after his tenure with Los Angeles, but he still has a small part in the hearts of Laker fans.
No. 19: Gail Goodrich
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With a nickname like "Stumpy", how could you not be a popular player?
Gail Goodrich was a 6'1" guard that earned that nickname from Elgin Baylor and proceeded to take the league by storm. He was an offensive force and ended up with over 19,000 points scored in his career when it was all said and done.
He was a talented player that played way above his size, and fans loved that.
No. 18: Bob McAdoo
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Bob McAdoo was always a successful player before he came to Los Angeles, but once he became a Laker, he found the mountaintop.
McAdoo served as the sixth man for the Lakers and won two championships playing with guys like Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was a major piece of what those championship teams did, and he fit in perfectly.
He eventually went on to play a year in Philadelphia before retiring but was a fan favorite in Los Angeles during those title runs.
No. 17: Robert Horry
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Big Shot Bob will always have a place in the hearts of Laker fans.
Robert Horry hit countless clutch shots for the Los Angeles Lakers as he's done everywhere else in his career, but none is more memorable than the shot to beat the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs. It was a total dagger and helped lift the Lakers to a championship.
Horry had the Staples Center rocking more than once during his tenure in Los Angeles.
No. 16: Vlade Divac
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Vlade Divac may not have known English when he joined the Lakers, but it didn't stop him from winning the hearts of the fans.
Divac was a talented big man who had a lot of charisma, and that translated any language barrier that was there when he joined the Lakers. He quickly became a fan favorite and, ironically enough, was a member of the Sacramento Kings during their fierce rivalry with the Lakers.
That wasn't enough to stop the Lakers fans from appreciating Divac for what he did in the purple and gold.
No. 15: Derek Fisher
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Derek Fisher is a fan favorite and with good reason.
Fisher has hit a ton of clutch shots, including the famous shot to beat the Spurs with .4 seconds on the clock. He's been a part of all of the Laker titles with Kobe Bryant. He's not the best point guard in the league and never was, but he's done so much for Los Angeles that the fans love him.
Turning down the Miami Heat in the offseason to re-sign with the Lakers never hurt either.
No. 14: Michael Cooper
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When Larry Bird says that you're the best defender he ever faced, you know you did something right.
That's the praise Michael Cooper got from Larry Legend, and he helped bring a couple of championships to Los Angeles that wouldn't have been there without his presence on the defensive end. The fans loved him and would chant "Cooooop" when he touched the ball.
He made a huge impact, and the fans appreciated that and let Cooper know it.
No. 13: Phil Jackson
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All Phil Jackson does is win.
Jackson has brought numerous titles to Los Angeles, and he has dealt with a lot of bad situations like the feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. He's calmed guys like Ron Artest down and turned them into model citizens.
He's possibly the greatest coach of all-time, and there's no denying his place in Laker history.
No. 12: Kurt Rambis
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Everyone loves an underdog who makes it big and succeeds way beyond normal expectations.
That's Kurt Rambis in every sense of the word. He was a great defender and was always crashing the boards on both sides. He became a fan favorite because of his playing style and always wore thick glasses and a moustache when playing.
He was given the nickname Superman because of his resemblance to Clark Kent, and fans loved Rambis until he retired in 1995.
No. 11: Chick Hearn
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Chick Hearn is a legend in every sense of the word.
Hearn was the legendary broadcaster of the Los Angeles Lakers and was the third broadcaster to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the voice of the Lakers for decades and can never be replaced.
He was adored by fans, and things aren't the same without him on the microphone.
No. 10: George Mikan
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When you're credited with making the NBA popular, you know you've done something right.
George Mikan was a dominant player in his day and is considered a pioneer for his playing style. He played with a physicality that hadn't been seen during his era and led the league in fouls committed three different times.
He was a beast and a true star in his day.
No. 9: Pat Riley
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The man behind Showtime had to make an appearance on this list.
Pat Riley is an innovative coach and he was at the peak of his powers in Los Angeles running the Lakers to a couple of championships and doing one heck of a job, especially on the offensive side of things. He was brash and Lakers fans loved it.
There's a certain swagger about Riley that you can't ignore.
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
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Wilt the Stilt was a guy who came to Los Angeles and played some of the best basketball of his career.
Sure, he may have been more statistically successful in other places, but Chamberlain played team basketball, and it got him a championship for the second time in his career. There are valid criticisms of Chamberlain, but he was a great in Los Angeles and fans loved him.
How could you not love one of the most dominant players of all-time?
No. 7: Elgin Baylor
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Elgin Baylor was a guy who could fill up highlight reels by himself.
Baylor had an acrobatic style and was a gifted offensive player that captivated fans during his career with the Lakers. He could shoot, he could pass and he could really do anything you asked of him on the offensive end.
His play was thrilling to watch in his era, and Los Angeles fans loved him for it.
No. 6: James Worthy
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When you come up clutch in big games, you're going to be a fan favorite.
James Worthy earned the nickname "Big Game James" for his penchant for playing his best when the most was on the line for the Lakers. At one point in his career, he dropped a triple double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Now that is clutch. Who wouldn't love to have a player like that on their team?
No. 5: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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If you want an idea of how popular Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in the city of Los Angeles, all you need to hear is the story of when his house burned down.
The center lost his house and his beloved collection of jazz records. To make up for the lost collection, Lakers fans sent and brought him countless records to try and replace what he lost. Abdul-Jabbar's spirits were lifted and he got his life back together.
How many players would get that same treatment?
No. 4: Shaquille O'Neal
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When you are as dominant as Shaquille O'Neal was in Los Angeles, you're going to be loved by the fans.
Sure, he ended up leaving town in a bad way after feuding with Kobe Bryant, but Shaq made the Lakers a dominant team again and just took games over for Los Angeles. His playoff performances were legendary, and with his personality, he was a fan favorite.
There aren't many people who dislike Shaq, to be quite honest.
No. 3: Jerry West
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When you're the logo of the league, you had to be a popular player.
Jerry West is an icon in every sense of the word and he was beloved by everyone. Not only that, but he had the ability to come up clutch time and time again and was even nicknamed Mr. Clutch. He is loved league-wide, but especially in Los Angeles.
There aren't many players who have the respect level and popularity of West.
No. 2: Kobe Bryant
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Kobe Bryant is a no-brainer on this list.
Laker fans love Kobe and he's synonymous with the Laker, and the fans in Los Angeles adore him and have always supported him through the thick and thin. When you watch Laker games, you'll see those 24 jerseys all over, and he's an icon in that city.
He's one of the greatest Lakers of all time and one of the most popular players in league history.
No. 1: Magic Johnson
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Magic Johnson was everything for the Los Angeles Lakers.
There hasn't been a player with his size and skillset in the history of basketball, and there may never be another Magic Johnson. He had unreal court vision and talent that changed the game as we know it. He is a legend and beloved in Los Angeles.
When there is a statue of you outside the Staples Center, you know you connected with the city in a way that few players do.
