Magic, not Kobe, Is the Greatest Laker
By Scott Burks
Kobe Bryant
became the Los Angeles Lakers' all-time leading scorer during last Monday
night's loss to the improving Memphis Grizzlies.
Since that game a
lot of folks have been debating if Bryant is the greatest player in Lakers'
history. To quote ESPN GameDay's Lee Corso: "not so fast, my
friend..."
I believe Magic
Johnson is the greatest Laker. In fact, he is the greatest NBA player,
PERIOD. I could go on about Magic having more rings (five) than Bryant
(four). I could also argue that Magic is STILL held in high regard in
L.A. -- higher than that of Bryant's.
Here is what I
think puts Magic over the top in this debate: the man not only could play
ALL FIVE POSITIONS, but he did so at a high level. During his rookie
season, Magic helped lead the Lakers to an NBA championship over the
Philadelphia 76ers. What many people didn't know was that he had to
start at center because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was hurt. So he jumped
ball against Darryl Dawkins, and out-played Julius Irving en route to a
Finals MVP -- in his rookie season.
I've seen him
play the four, wing, and shooting guard in addition to his natural point
guard position. That's a 6'9" point guard if you're keeping
score. To put it in proper perspective, Magic was the size of a power
forward who regularly brought up the ball.
Magic was at his
best while making his teammates better. He is among the all-time
leaders in assists, and is among the rebounding leaders at his position.
That makes Magic the ultimate triple-threat: he can be you by scoring,
dishing the rock, and on the glass.
Until Kobe proves
that he is at his best while making his teammates better (instead of looking
to jack up 40 shots per night), and can play all five positions at a
high-level (I never seen him play anything more than the 3 [a wing player a
la Scottie Pippen]), Magic is and will remain the greatest Laker in my book.
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