Over the years, the Los Angeles Lakers have been represented by at least a few superstars that could make the case to be considered among the top-5 NBA players of all time.
Currently, it’s LeBron James carrying the mantle of the face of the franchise. And, James has already enshrined his name in the Lakers’ history books by leading the team to the 2019-20 title, alongside Anthony Davis.
But before the 37-year-old came Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the late 1990s into the 2000s, as well as Magic Johnson and Kareem-Abdul in the 1980s — which became known as the “Showtime” era.
All those players belonged in the generational talent category, the top tier of basketball superstars. NBA great and TNT analyst Charles Barkley seems to share the sentiment, picking James, Bryant, Johnson, and Abdul-Jabbar to make his “Mount Rushmore of NBA basketball,” via NBA on TNT:
These seven legends made it onto Chuck's NBA Mount Rushmore 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/06gTTzzfDx
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 18, 2022
Barkley also said that to him, “James is the greatest story in sports history.”
There are other Lakers legends who could potentially make someone else’s Mount Rushmore list, such as Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan or O’Neal.
That shows how lucky fans of the franchise have been throughout the years when it comes to witnessing the best of all time putting on a show for their team.
Barkley invited James to join TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ during postseason
Since the Lakers failed to qualify for the 2022 NBA Playoffs, James has been active on social media, commenting on how this year’s favorites fare on the way to the championship.
The All-Star’s forward social media presence caught Barkley’s attention. The TNT analyst pleaded with James to join “Inside the NBA” earlier in the postseason.
“I’m begging you, please come on the show you ain’t got nothing to do right now,” he said.
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