The Lakers are indubitably one of the vital storied franchises in NBA historical past with a number of the best gamers we’ve ever seen.
The likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and now LeBron James have all suited up for the purple and gold, with many NBA followers arguing that Bryant and Abdul-Jabbar have been one of the best Lakers gamers in historical past.
However Former NBA participant and present ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson has a special take.
“I feel Magic Johnson is the best Laker of all time,” Jefferson advised J.J. Redick. “I feel he extended Kareem’s profession. Which allowed Kareem to achieve the heights that he did. He made the NBA related.
“NBA Finals have been tape delayed within the 80s. His title is fu**ing Magic Johnson. He constructed this empire with Larry Chicken after which Jordan got here after that. So, it’s like Magic Johnson so far as significance to the league…he’s acquired to be a Prime three participant. Particularly through the years of the league truly increasing. You needed to have one thing to market, and he did it fantastically. And, you return. What he did as a rookie within the rattling NBA Finals, going for fu**ing 40 and taking part in middle with no Kareem. As a rookie! Like, Michael Jordan used to have a look at Magic being like, “That’s the motherfu**ing dude!”
Johnson was a one-man crew as he spent his complete profession in LA the place total he recorded 19.5 factors, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists and 1.9 steals per recreation whereas capturing 52 % from the sphere.
Magic additionally earned a really spectacular 12 All-Star picks, 10 All-NBA picks, 5 NBA titles, three MVP awards and three Finals MVP awards and certain would have ended up with extra accolades had he not been pressured to retire after a HIV prognosis in 1991.
In 1995-96 he did return to the court docket and averaged 14.6 factors, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per recreation.
In 2016 at Bryant’s farewell, the good man himself Johnson stated that he believed Kobe to be the best Laker participant ever, however Jefferson positively does make some wonderful factors about Magic.
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