Ultimate 5: The best Lakers lineup since '95
While hoops remain on hiatus, theScore's NBA editors will be compiling ultimate starting lineups for each team in the association. The catch: Only players who've been in the league since the 1995-96 season can be included.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been led by a number of all-time greats throughout their 73-year history - from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Magic Johnson to Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and James Worthy. Given that overwhelming collection of talent, it's no surprise that this storied franchise has won an astounding 16 NBA championships, the league's second-highest total behind only the Boston Celtics.
Even when only considering the past 25 seasons, the Lakers' ultimate starting five includes multiple current and future Hall of Famers, each of whom left a unique impression on the league.
Guard
Derek Fisher
His statistics may not jump off the page like that of the other names on this list, but Fisher's work as the starting point guard on four of the Lakers' last five title teams deserves recognition.
The five-time champion shot a respectable 37.5% from 3-point range during his 13 seasons with Los Angeles while serving as a valuable floor-spacer for teams headlined by Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
When he retired in 2014, Fisher ranked first all time in postseason games played.
Guard
Kobe Bryant
After being taken with the 13th overall pick in 1996, the late Bryant became one of the most decorated players in NBA history with five championships to his name.
Over the course of his 20-year run donning the purple and gold, the Black Mamba posted career averages of 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. When he retired in 2016, he ranked behind only Abdul-Jabbar on the franchise's all-time scoring list (33,643 points) and had recorded more playoff points than any other player in Lakers history (5,640).
Among the Hall of Famer's other accolades are 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Defensive team nods, two Finals MVPs, and a regular-season MVP in 2008.
Forward
LeBron James
While his time with the Lakers has been brief compared to the other names on this list, James' all-time greatness makes him an unquestioned lock for the starting small forward spot.
The 35-year-old still has a few seasons left in the tank, but his legendary resume to date includes 16 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA selections, and four MVPs.
Plus, he's still going strong. Before the current NBA season was suspended, James was averaging 25.7 points and a career-best 10.6 assists per game as the engine behind the Lakers' stellar 49-14 record.
Forward
Pau Gasol
Though he was somewhat overshadowed by Bryant during the Lakers' back-to-back championship wins in 2009 and '10, Gasol's contributions as an overqualified second option helped swing both Finals series in Los Angeles' favor.
Across those two title runs, the Spaniard averaged 18.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.2 blocks in 12 Finals games.
Center
Shaquille O'Neal
With an overwhelming size advantage and a forcefulness around the rim that proved virtually impossible to match, O'Neal was unquestionably the most dominant center of his generation.
The Hall of Fame big man was at the peak of his powers in the early 2000s, being named Finals MVP in all three seasons of the Lakers' three-peat. If you combine his numbers from those three playoff runs, O'Neal averaged an incredible 29.9 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and three assists per game.
Just Missed
Anthony Davis
Even though he was averaging 26.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in his first season as a Laker, Davis fails to get the starting nod over Gasol given his comparably brief stint with the organization so far.
But if Davis re-signs with Los Angeles and wins a championship, reconsideration will be warranted.
Lamar Odom
Odom was ahead of his time as a versatile 6-foot-10 point forward who could guard multiple positions and possessed an impressive combination of ball-handling and court vision that made him lethal on fastbreaks.
Phil Jackson moved Odom into a sixth-man role ahead of the 2008-09 campaign. That decision paid off immediately - the Lakers won back-to-back titles and Odom was then named Sixth Man of the Year for 2010-11.