Jason "White Chocolate" Williams: "I'm not even sure [Kobe] is on the all-time top 5 Greatest Lakers"

Mogspan · Post #1 » by **Mogspan** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:38 pm

LukaTheGOAT · Post #2 » by **LukaTheGOAT** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:40 pm

I mean in terms of playing career with the Lakers? I feel like Magic, Jerry West, maybe Kareem, would be the only ones who have a case over Kobe, unless I am forgetting someone.

Catchall · Post #3 » by **Catchall** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:40 pm

LukaTheGOAT wrote:I mean in terms of playing career with the Lakers? I feel like Magic, Jerry West, maybe Kareem, would be the only ones who have a case over Kobe, unless I am forgetting someone.

Wilt and Lebron.

JJ_PR · Post #4 » by **JJ_PR** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:41 pm

LukaTheGOAT wrote:I mean in terms of playing career with the Lakers? I feel like Magic, Jerry West, maybe Kareem, would be the only ones who have a case over Kobe, unless I am forgetting someone.

Shaq, Bron, Wilt & Worthy?

LukaTheGOAT · Post #5 » by **LukaTheGOAT** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:42 pm

Catchall wrote:
LukaTheGOAT wrote:I mean in terms of playing career with the Lakers? I feel like Magic, Jerry West, maybe Kareem, would be the only ones who have a case over Kobe, unless I am forgetting someone.

Wilt and Lebron.

Wilt and Lebron didn't play long enough with the Lakers.

LukaTheGOAT · Post #6 » by **LukaTheGOAT** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:43 pm

JJ_PR wrote:
LukaTheGOAT wrote:I mean in terms of playing career with the Lakers? I feel like Magic, Jerry West, maybe Kareem, would be the only ones who have a case over Kobe, unless I am forgetting someone.

Shaq, Bron, Wilt & Worthy?

Lebron, Wilt, and Shaq only had a portion of their careers with the Lakers. And Kobe is just straight up better than Worthy in my opinion.

flranger · Post #7 » by **flranger** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:43 pm

If evaluating Lakers career, certainly wrong. But Lebron, KAJ, Magic, Wilt, Oneal are all better all time players and all have won chips with the Lakers.

reanimator · Post #8 » by **reanimator** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:43 pm

Sounds like a realgm poster
Very cringe

JJ_PR · Post #9 » by **JJ_PR** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:44 pm

LukaTheGOAT wrote:And Kobe is just straight up better than Worthy in my opinion.

I can't disagree with that.

khufure · Post #10 » by **khufure** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:44 pm

Magic & Kareem are #1a #1b, then Kobe, then West IMO

Post #11 » by **Reeko** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:48 pm

As far as career as a Laker, only Magic and Kareem have a case. Unfortunately for West he ran up against Russell’s Celtics.

Cubbies2120 · Post #12 » by **Cubbies2120** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:48 pm

Depends, if you consider ONLY years spent for the Lakers, he's right behind Kareem/Magic

If you consider "Who are the best players to ever lace them up for the Lakers", he's not top 5.

Wilt, Kareem, Magic, LeBron, Shaq are all above him

theforumblue · Post #13 » by **theforumblue** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:48 pm

Magic Kareem Shaq West all have good argument for being ahead of Kobe. So if you are arguably #5 and names like Wilt and LeBron is on that list below you, it's not a farfetched thing to say. Lakers are stacked.

I do have Kobe in top 3 btw.

Post #14 » by **Texas Chuck** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:50 pm

I'm just sad thinking about a franchise actually able to debate which of their all-time greats make the top 5. Dallas has Dirk and then uh well uh I guess pre and post prime Kidd, pre-MVP Nash, Aguirre, and Luka. Maybe Ro, Harp, Filthy or JET squeezes in

This is definitely a 1st world NBA problem. It's like when the Rockets start listing all the centers that have played for them: Moses and Dream and Sampson and Yao and Howard and Deke and I'm sure I'm missing a Hofer or two.

PurpleGreenGold · Post #15 » by **PurpleGreenGold** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:53 pm

It's definitely a reasonable opinion. I didn't see any ground rules about how long a guy needed to play with the Lakers to make the list. They have a crazy, illustrious history of great players playing for them. No shame in not making the top 5.

Mogspan · Post #16 » by **Mogspan** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:55 pm

Texas Chuck wrote:I'm just sad thinking about a franchise actually able to debate which of their all-time greats make the top 5. Dallas has Dirk and then uh well uh I guess pre and post prime Kidd, pre-MVP Nash, Aguirre, and Luka. Maybe Ro, Harp, Filthy or JET squeezes in

This is definitely a 1st world NBA problem. It's like when the Rockets start listing all the centers that have played for them: Moses and Dream and Sampson and Yao and Howard and Deke and I'm sure I'm missing a Hofer or two.

Arguably the second greatest Timberwolf played only 74 games with the franchise and emotionally abused his teammates on the way out the door.

LAL1947 · Post #17 » by **LAL1947** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:59 pm

Lay off the drugs, Jason. :thumbsup:

This is my All-Time Top 10... so I'm going to vote "cringe"... and I'd vote "super cringe" if that was an option.

1) Jordan
2) Wilt or Lebron
3) Lebron or Wilt
4) Larry
5) Kobe
6) Magic
7) Hakeem or Kareem
8) Kareem or Hakeem
9) Shaq
10) Duncan or Russell

Post #18 » by **Kilroy** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:00 pm

Greatness can have a combination of measures... Greatest individual performer, greatest impact to the franchise, greatest total career with the franchise... I think you get into the weeds comparing Kareem and Magic at the top for instance and a lot of the nuance is meaningless... I go with a tier system for Goat discussions.

Kareem and Magic Tier 1
Kobe Baylor West and Wilt tier 2
Shaq LeBron Mikan Worthy Tier 3
Cooper Goodrich Tier 4

theforumblue · Post #19 » by **theforumblue** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:01 pm

white chocolate is also correct that bird is dropping whatever he wants on your favorite player.

KembaWalker · Post #20 » by **KembaWalker** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:02 pm

whats the argument for Jerry West over Kobe? I don't really see one that makes sense to me

Opinion of this take?