Shaquille O’Neal is one of the key figures in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers, but he may not be the greatest center to have played for them.
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There’s no NBA franchise more hallowed than the Lakers. Sure, the Boston Celtics have 17 championships too. But the Shamrock Greens only have 2 titles in 37 seasons now.
The star power that the Lakers have had over the years is nothing short of ridiculous. Except for a couple of years between eras, they’ve always had a top-3 player in the NBA.
Since their move to Los Angeles from Minneapolis, they’ve had a whole Hall of Fame roster and more of superstars donning the purple-and-gold jerseys.
You know how many hall of famers played for the lakers and don’t have their jersey retired? A LOT
— LA Sports Radio (@LASportsRadio) March 8, 2023
Shaquille O’Neal names all-time Lakers starting lineup, starts Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Given the whole galaxy of stars who’ve represented Lakers nation, it’s quite hard to name a starting lineup for the franchise through its entire history. Nailing the center position, of all these choices, is probably the toughest component.
Shaq managed to navigate this problem deftly while naming his own Lakers all-time starting lineup. The Big Aristotle shared a picture of his lineup on his Instagram stories last night.
O’Neal named Jerry West and Magic Johnson in his starting backcourt. Kobe Bryant was the other wing, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaq rounded out a Twin Towers lineup.
That’s a great offensive lineup but a bit suspect defensively, especially given Shaq’s foot speed and Magic’s gambling. Beastly team nonetheless. pic.twitter.com/4ORKjPHaYq
— Amulya Shekhar (@tweet_amulya) March 9, 2023
Also Read – Jerry West choked out 325lbs Shaquille O’Neal after Lakers loss to Charles Barkley
LeBron James finds himself on this roster, having now played 5 years in Los Angeles. Anthony Davis and Derek Fisher were perhaps the most controversial inclusions, especially given the exclusion of George Mikan.
How would the all-time Lakers match up against other franchises?
With Kareem, Shaq, Magic and Kobe, there are more top-10 players of all time on the Lakers’ rafters than any other franchise. The Celtics come closest, and they only have 2 of the top-10 in Bill Russell and Larry Bird.
Teams like the Warriors and Bulls have strong backcourts or great swingmen, but are missing Hall of Fame talent for at least one starting berth. There’s no doubt that the Lakers have the greatest amount of talent playing for them historically.
