Is Kobe the greatest Laker of all time?

Kobe Bryant is the top pressure player of his generation, as good on defense as he is offensively, and at 33 is having one of his best seasons. (Mark Terrill/Associated Press)

Story by Joe McDonnell of Fox Sports

When the inevitability of Kobe Bryant moving into fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list became reality this week, he was thankful, yet not satisfied.

"It would be an understatement to say it's a huge honor," Bryant said after scoring 28 points Monday night in his native Philadelphia to pass former teammate and sometimes rival Shaquille O'Neal with 28,601 points. "I've been very fortunate to have such a good career."

However, the number that Bryant really is chasing is a much smaller one.

"I just want No. 6, man," he said. "I'm not asking for too much, man. Just give me a sixth ring, damn it."

Which achievement is greater — the scoring or the championships? And do Bryant’s accomplishments at age 33 make him, as O’Neal proclaimed this week, the greatest Laker ever?

No one has won more championships with the Lakers than Bryant. And of the Lakers legends who have won five or more rings, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sits ahead of him on the scoring list, at No. 1 with 38,387 points.

A sixth ring would give Kobe one more than Kareem won with the Lakers, and elevate him into even more elite company on the career championships list — joining Michael Jordan, among others, with the fifth most in history.

Has Kobe already surpassed Kareem as greatest Laker? Has he even surpassed Magic Johnson or Jerry West in the eyes of Lakers faithful? Coming to a definitive answer is perhaps impossible, considering the Hall of Famers who made this franchise the NBA’s all-time leader in wins and brought it 16 championship banners. But here are my top five Lakers.

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5. Elgin Baylor

Former teammate Hot Rod Hundley may have said it best: "If Julius Erving is a doctor, then Elgin Baylor was a brain surgeon." Baylor's career ended in 1971, so many of today's fans and reporters never saw the 6-foot-5 scorer play. However, YouTube takes care of that, and there's a new Baylor appreciation society out there. An 11-time All-Star, he averaged more than 34 points three years in a row, including a career-high 38.3 in his remarkable 1961-62 season. Why was it remarkable? Baylor was on active duty in the Army Reserve and basically played only on weekends! He also averaged 18.6 rebounds in those 48 games, and set a record with a 61-point game in the Finals. He never won a championship (though he did get a championship ring as being a member of the 1971-72 Lakers championship team - retiring nine games into the season), but his career average of 27.4 points ranks fourth all-time and his 13.5 rebounds rank ninth.

3. (tie) Jerry West

He was Mr. Clutch, and like Bryant, West gladly took the ball with just a few seconds left on the clock and the game in the balance. He, too, was successful many more times than he failed, and his buzzer-beating 60-footer in the 1970 Finals is considered one of the biggest shots of all time. The 6-foot-2 guard also was one of the top defensive players in NBA history. Few players got the best of him, and the ones who sometimes did, like Oscar Robertson and Sam Jones, got lit up on the other end of the floor by "The Logo." A 14-time All-Star, he led the league in scoring with 31.2 points in 1969-70 and averaged more than 25 points in the championship season of 1971-72. He should have had more than one championship ring, but he kept running into Bill Russell and the Celtics. But he got his payback as a Lakers executive, building or helping build eight title winners — including two that beat Boston.

3. (tie) Magic Johnson

The greatest winner in franchise history and, along with Bill Russell, one of the greatest in NBA history. At 6-foot-9 he revolutionized the point guard position and made everyone on his team better, including the already-great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He even filled in for the star center in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals and turned in one of the greatest performances of all time, scoring 42 points and becoming the only rookie to be named Finals MVP. It was the first of his five rings and the beginning of a “Showtime” era that helped revitalize the NBA along with his rivalry with Larry Bird and the Celtics. He went to the Finals nine times and won three MVPs. Johnson's only weakness was defense, and had his career not been cut short by HIV in 1991, he'd definitely be battling for the top spot on this list. And if personality and entertaining style of play were bigger factors in this evaluation, he'd be No. 1 by a huge margin.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Other than Wilt Chamberlain, the 7-foot-2 Abdul-Jabbar was the game's most unstoppable offensive force. The skyhook was the ultimate weapon, and he could shoot it from any place from the top of the key to the corners. When he put out maximum effort — which wasn't often enough for some of his critics — he was ferocious defensively as well. Shot-blocker, rebounder, defender — he could do it all, and was one of the most clutch Lakers stars. His 19 All-Star selections and six MVP awards are unmatched. It's hard to put him No. 1 because I was one of those critics who saw him lope up and down the floor too many times. But what he accomplished with the Lakers was legendary.

1. Kobe Bryant

When he left Lower Merion (PA) High School, Bryant’s goal was to be the greatest player ever. And while he may have avoided saying it, most observers believe he specifically wanted to be better than Michael Jordan — maybe if only because no other player even merits a comparison. I think he’s passed Jordan, and he very well might finish his career as the greatest the game has seen. A 14-time All-Star, he’s been an MVP (2008 NBA, two-time Finals, four-time All-Star) and a champion (five-time NBA, two-time scoring, 1997 Slam Dunk) in every sense of the words. His 81-point game is second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100. He’s third on the career playoff scoring list. He’s also the top pressure player of his generation, as good on defense as he is offensively (nine-time All-Defensive first team). He's so good with the game on the line that he makes it easier for the other team to come up with a defensive strategy. Even though opponents know he's taking the final shot 99 percent of the time, he rarely can be stopped. And after 15 years in the league and numerous injuries that he's played through, he's having one of his best years, averaging 29.3 points and some nights literally willing his team to victory.

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Comment by Kirk Tanter: Sorry Joe McDonnell I have to disagree with you...though you present a compelling argument on behalf of the Michael Jordan-like "Closer" Kobe Bryant. When Kobe goes to nine championships like my number one Laker Magic Johnson, I may consider him the greatest Laker of all time. Another Laker that went to eight championships with the LA Lakers (and one with the Milwaukee Bucks totalling 9) was the leagues greatest scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, my #2 Laker by a slim margin under Magic, as Kareem scored the points for Showtime in the half court offense, especially in the playoffs where tougher defense rarely allows fast breaks. In fact, Kareem as Lew Alcinder in college, was arguably the greatest NCAA basketball player ever to lace up Converse Basketball shoes in the late 1960's. I will give Kobe the number 3 Laker slot, and Wilt Chamberlain would be my number four Laker (do not know why you would dis Wilt the Stilt). Shaquille O'Neal (most dominant Laker) is my number #5, Elgin Baylor #6, Jerry West #7, and Big Game James Worthy #8. Any other LA Laker that started with my Elite 8 are collectively number 9.

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