I go with Magic. Magic not only made the team better because of his talent, he made every PLAYER on his team better because of the way he played. For those that say Kobe...ask him to guard the 4/5 spot in the NBA finals and see what happens. Also, I'm not convinced Kobe makes those around him better. Makes his team better just from the standpoint of his amazing individual talent, or at least he did in the past. But Magic had that rare ability to lift all those around him. And I have said for years that he was probably the toughest matchup for other teams overall in NBA history. The only hesitation I have saying this is that he wasn't the greatest offensive threat ever, that's for sure...and Kareem was. And if someone said Kareem was the greatest Laker, I wouldn't put up too much of an argument because they would have a LOT they could point to to back up that decision.

 

It was never Kobe's job to make those around him better. You're a coach. Do you want your PG to make the players on your team better or do you want your SG to make players on your team better? Michael Jordan didn't make players on his team better. Do you consider MJ the greatest of all time?

 

Magic proved he he could win without Kareem just like Kobe proved he could win without Shaq. Why would Kareem be a better Laker than Kobe or Magic? Kareem ain't winning titles in LA without Magic and Shaq ain't winning titles in LA without Kobe.

In the first few titles, Magic's cast wasn't that great.

 

Kareem was the centerpiece in '80 and '82.

 

But the help was Norm Nixon, Jim Chones, Landsberger, a crippled Kupchek, and a very youthful Cooper.

 

Along with Hall of Famers Jamaal Wilkes and Bob McAdoo.

 

Kobe had Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum when he won back to back titles without Shaq.

To me, at each of their peaks (Kareem and Hakeem) Kareem was the more dominate player, and personally I don't think it's all that close. With that said, Hakeem was a great player and one of the best at his position ever and brought a dimension rarely...maybe even never seen at the center position before he arrived.

 

Kareem dominated before he got to LA. He played well in LA but he never got better from his prime while in LA. Some of his best basketball came while he was in Milwaukee. Because of that one could make a good argument for Jerry West being a better Laker than him.

Kareem shot 56% 53% 47% his last three years against a career 55%

Kobe has shot 42% 37% 34% his last three years against a career 44%...and you say Kareem was just accumulating? Granted Kobe got hurt in 2 of those seasons...but he looks more like the guy trying to "Get his" than Kareem did.

 

Anyone that doesn't consider Kareem a top 3 Center (head to head argument can be made that he was the best over Wilt or Russell), was either born after 1980 or blind.

 

Kareem was a center shooting shots from 10 foot in. If Kareem shot the shots Kobe has shot he wouldn't have a better FG%.

 

#81

It was never Kobe's job to make those around him better. You're a coach. Do you want your PG to make the players on your team better or do you want your SG to make players on your team better? Michael Jordan didn't make players on his team better. Do you consider MJ the greatest of all time?

 

Magic proved he he could win without Kareem just like Kobe proved he could win without Shaq. Why would Kareem be a better Laker than Kobe or Magic? Kareem ain't winning titles in LA without Magic and Shaq ain't winning titles in LA without Kobe.

 

I guess technically I'd want ALL my players to make each player around them better (Larry Bird's Boston teams come to mind and I think is an example of this), but it does undoubtedly start with the point guard as he does have the ball in his hands more than any other player, most of the time on most teams anyway.

 

I still say Magic had a quality/ability about him that no other player (including MJ) had. And remember our all time NBA draft a couple of years ago? I said before the draft if I had first pick, the player I would take first would be Magic. That's how much I respect his game and respect what he brought to the floor.

Kareem dominated before he got to LA. He played well in LA but he never got better from his prime while in LA. Some of his best basketball came while he was in Milwaukee. Because of that one could make a good argument for Jerry West being a better Laker than him.

 

Kind of hard to get better than your prime though, isn't it? Yes he dominated while with the Bucks, and that domination continued for several years while with the Lakers, so his prime did overlap his two stints with the teams, respectively, but I believe me and most everyone else think of him primarily as a Laker and his greatest accomplishments were with the Lakers.

I said Magic, but check out Kareem's stuff.

 

6 MVPS...6 titles....All time scoring leader.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Hakeem Olajuwon Comparison

Are we counting on and off-court accomplishments?

 

If so, West in a landslide...

This wasn't meant to be anti anyone, as I said in the opener, I could make a solid case for any of them. More it was pointing out what an embarrassment of riches the Lakers have had. Obviously, they are all great.

This wasn't meant to be anti anyone, as I said in the opener, I could make a solid case for any of them. More it was pointing out what an embarrassment of riches the Lakers have had. Obviously, they are all great.

Absurd

Kareem was a center shooting shots from 10 foot in. If Kareem shot the shots Kobe has shot he wouldn't have a better FG%.

 

#81

 

Point was Kareem's drop off was much less than Kobe's drop off. Kobe's shooting has been a detriment to the team more so than was Kareem's at the end of their respective careers.

That was in response to someone saying he was just accumulating stats at the end of his career.

Along with Hall of Famers Jamaal Wilkes and Bob McAdoo.

 

Kobe had Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum when he won back to back titles without Shaq.

 

Two thoughts.

 

Wilkes and Macadoo were great but it was the last few years of their career.

 

How do you see the teams Kobe beat in the Finals stacking up with the 76'ers in '80 and '82?

Point was Kareem's drop off was much less than Kobe's drop off. Kobe's shooting has been a detriment to the team more so than was Kareem's at the end of their respective careers.

That was in response to someone saying he was just accumulating stats at the end of his career.

His last two years he could barely move and averaged 14 and 10. It was hard to watch. I know you remember that. Heck, he looked about 50 at the time, so that could explain it.

Kind of hard to get better than your prime though, isn't it? Yes he dominated while with the Bucks, and that domination continued for several years while with the Lakers, so his prime did overlap his two stints with the teams, respectively, but I believe me and most everyone else think of him primarily as a Laker and his greatest accomplishments were with the Lakers.

 

Michael Jordan did.

 

The point I am making is that Kareem played better basketball individually with Milwaukee than he did with LA.

Two thoughts.

 

Wilkes and Macadoo were great but it was the last few years of their career.

 

How do you see the teams Kobe beat in the Finals stacking up with the 76'ers in '80 and '82?

 

The Celtics team that beat them was a good team that I think would have been fine compared to those 76er teams. The Magic team was trash compared to those 76ers teams.