With so many great players throughout the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 75-year history, determining which were the best of the best can be difficult. This has sparked debates about who the greatest Lakers of all time are, and who would be on a hypothetical Los Angeles Lakers Mount Rushmore.
There would only be four spots, just like the real memorial, making it even more difficult to agree on which players are most deserving. That being said, let’s see which Laker legends would make the cut.
Los Angeles Lakers Mount Rushmore: Shaquille O’Neal
The Los Angeles Lakers’ signing of Shaquille O’Neal was a defining moment in NBA history, as well as franchise history. O’Neal was a nearly unstoppable low post presence, giving the team the perfect player to build around, along with Kobe Bryant, and he helped deliver three championships to L.A. Still, he doesn’t seem to get as much love as other Lakers greats.
Perhaps that’s because he joined the team as a free agent after four years in Orlando, had frequent clashes with Kobe Bryant, or later forced the Lakers to trade him to Miami. Those are all valid reasons, but Shaq was simply too dominant to ignore.
He averaged an outrageous 27 points,11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game over eight seasons with the Lakers. He was also named MVP in 2000, won NBA Finals MVP three times, and helped lead the team to a fourth straight NBA Finals appearance. Shaq definitely belongs on the Lakers’ Mount Rushmore.