You know how they say that your problems aren’t that bad when you’re debating whether to eat a steak or a prime rib? That’s pretty much what it’s like trying to rank the all time Laker players with each other. There is greatness pretty much everywhere you turn. The legacy of the Laker legends goes back to the earliest days of the NBA, when George Mikan and Jerry West were the top dogs. Fast forward a few decades, and you have the “Showtime” Lakers, led by Magic, Kareem, and Big Game James. Fast forward once more to the start of the new millennium, and the Diesel and the Mamba, AKA Shaq and Kobe, are there to assure you Lakerland is never devoid of stars.
But back to our analogy about the steak and the prime rib. Assuming you’re not a vegetarian, when you have such good choices, how do you decide which one is best? It’s by no means an easy task, because you’re forced to factor a number of different things into the equation. Statistics, awards, and championships are just the surface of it all. There’s also the fact that every NBA era is different, and therefore our perception of the players must be shifted as well, for better or worse. And then of course, there are the intangible things. The things that can’t be seen on paper. The mystical qualities that reside within a player, enabling them to become more than just a player – but a legend we’ll always remember.
[post_page_title]20. Robert Horry[/post_page_title]
There is no doubt in our minds that Robert Horry belongs on this list, however low he may appear on it. His stats weren’t the flashiest, but then again he was never really a starter. And yet… in many ways, he was so integral to the Lakers three titles from 2000-2002, due to his role as a clutch shooter. Given the nickname “Big Shot Bob,” Horry helped the Lakers out of a number of tight jams in the playoffs, with multiple game-winning threes to his name.
