The Best Laker and His Mamba Mentality

The Los Angeles Lakers have had legends apart of the team for decades. When considering a team so iconic, how do you decide who has been the all-time Laker? Does it come down to the number of championships, how impressive their overall stats are, or what the die-hard fans think of them?

I think each of these factors is considered and then a bit more of everything in between. Not only are the textbook facts important, but what else is being brought to the table. Leadership, inspiration, dedication and passion.

When an athlete has these characteristics, they bring more to a sport than simply scoring skill and record-breaking stats. It brings connections to the fans, storytelling aspects to the game, and the wonder of knowing anything is possible.

Shaquile O’Neal obviously comes to mind when discussing the greatest Laker of all time. He was part of the most dynamic duos in NBA history in the late ‘90s to early 2000s. He is a four-time NBA Champion, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, 15-time NBA All-Star and a three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. These accomplishments barely touch the surface of O’Neal’s career.

There is also legendary Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson who truly brought personality to the court during “the Showtime Years” from 1979 to 1990. He astonished the audience with no-look passes and inspired the addition of the “triple-double” term. His nickname Magic highlights the star on the court with five championships, three MVP awards, three finals MVP awards, 12-time All-Star and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team.

It is impossible to exclude hall of famer and literal NBA logo himself, Jerry West. Despite only having one championship under his belt, West was the NBA Finals MVP in 1969 after averaging 30 points a game through the season. He helped the Lakers win 33 games in a row during the 1971-72 season, had 9 NBA Finals appearances, averaged 40 points a game during the 1965 postseason, and scored 25,192 overall career points as a Los Angeles Laker.

Considering the legends who have played in purple and gold, I can confidently say Kobe Bryant is the best Laker in history. He brought more to the table than his extraordinary talent. He united not only Lakers fans, but basketball fans. He made people feel connected to the game in a way they have never felt before. He brought pure disbelief to our eyes while watching him play. His incredible talent astonished the world as he held everyone’s attention in the palm of his hand.

When I think of how legendary Bryant is, I think of a few memories I recall while growing up watching him play.

The Lakers were playing the Spurs on Feb. 20, 2016 when he dislocated his finger during the game. I can still hardly wrap my head around what happened next. He walked up to his trainer Gary Vitti, and he popped Bryant’s finger back into place within a matter of seconds. In the few moments after, Bryant is back on the court ready to play ball.

It isn’t the fact that Byrant was such a tough player to make this moment unbelievable, it is the fact that you could see the dedication in his eyes and actions. Nothing was going to hold him back from continuing the game. I believe he would have gone back onto the court with a broken hand if he had to. Sadly, I do not think we see this type of passion on the court in today’s game. Calm, collected and determined.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Bryant was cheered on by the entire crowd in Beijing. He received a spectacular ovation. The main point behind this is that while playing outside the states, Bryant received praise from fans on the other side of the world. His passion reached people everywhere no matter the distance.

On the court, Bryant led L.A. to the Championship three-peat in 2000, 2001 and 2002, along with two more NBA titles in 2009 and 2010. He scored 81 points in a single game in 2006, he has four All-Star Game MVP Awards-the most ever, he scored at least 40 points against every team in the NBA and was the youngest NBA player in history to start a regular season game as well as an All-Star Game. Bryant is also the only NBA player in history to have two jersey numbers retired in a single franchise.

Basketball fans remember Bryant’s legacy along with his leadership, passion and dedication to the game. He will continue to inspire people and professional athletes forever as his “Mamba Mentality” lives on.