Who could it be? There are seven Lakers numbers that are hanging in the rafters at Staples Center right now. Worthy, Magic, Kareem, Goodrich, Baylor, Wilt and West. Don’t leave out George Mikan from the Minneapolis days. Check the numbers yourself. Chick Hearn is also there. You can bet that Kobe and Shaq will be the next two up in the rafters. But who is the greatest Laker of all time?

It can be broken down by generation. The 60s will argue Baylor and West to the 2000s Kobe and Shaq. The 80s will argue Magic and Kareem to the 70s West and Wilt. There is only one other NBA franchise that could have this kind of argument (Boston) and all Lakers fans have to acknowledge them.

Back to the issue at hand. Mikan was the beginning of the phrase “dominant big man.” He came before Wilt, Russell and Reed. No one could stop him in the 50s. Baylor and West ushered in the fast paced offense with incredible scoring ability. Wilt came along at the end of his career, but was a dominant force on the defensive side to finally get West, Baylor and Goodrich their first championship. Kareem, to refresh your memory, didn’t win a championship in LA until Magic Johnson came along. Magic starting at center in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals for the injured Kareem to win the championship. Shaq in all his talent couldn’t get over the hump without a sidekick. Kobe was the perfect compliment to his inside game.

Greatness to me is measured first by how you make your team better, then all the other accolades get lumped into the mold after. By that definition, the top 3 Lakers are Wilt, Magic and Kobe in no particular order. They all came to LA with an already talented roster, but without them the Lakers wouldn’t have won.

Being pressed into making a choice, the greatest Laker to me is Chick Hearn. Please let me explain. From 1960-2002, for 42 years, he was the voice of the Lakers. He was one of my idols and with Vin Scully the reason why I got into this profession. His “chickisms” are sorely missed, but will never be forgotten. He gave it to you straight. When the Lakers were good and bad. For some, he would talk fast, but it was clear and right to the point of what was happening. “Slam Dunk!” was the best. He put extra emphasis on it when a Laker did it. The most famous one of course was when the game was coming to an end. See if you can remember it before you read any further.

“You can put this one in the refrigerator. The door’s closed, the light’s out, the eggs are cooling, the butter’s getting hard and the Jell-O is jiggling.”

Now if asked who is the greatest Lakers player, I have to go with Magic. Magic did things that no one had seen from a player his size. He played every position and always put his team before himself. Those five championships were no fluke. Magic did have a talented roster that included Kareem, Worthy, Cooper and Rambis just to name a few, but you had to have a calm unnerving leader who wouldn’t crumble under the pressure. Magic 1, Kareem 2, West 3. No disrespect to the others who have worn the Lakers uniform, but those are the top 3. Kobe winning another ring or two will put him past West and maybe Kareem, but Magic was truly a one of a kind talent.

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