As we head into the next Los Angeles Lakers season, and a new era in Lakers basketball, the staff here at Lakers Nation has decided to take a look back and rank the 20 greatest Lakers of all-time.
Our staff analyzed the ins and out of each Lakers player, determining their impact on the franchise during their tenure there. Stemming from awards to clutch performances, many contributing players were the difference during the 16 championship runs.
This list has been trimmed down to 20 Lakers, counting down these players strictly based on their accomplishments during their time with the franchise.
Derek Fisher
Seasons with Lakers: 13
Statistics: 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 40.2 FG%, 37.5 3PT%
Accolades: 5x NBA Champion (2000-02, 09-10)
One of the most popular Lakers of all-time is point guard Derek Fisher, who played 13 seasons in the purple and gold across two stints and won five championships.
The Lakers drafted Fisher with the 24th overall pick in 1996 out of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Fisher played a huge part of the three-peat championship teams from 2000-02, whether it was starting or coming off the bench.
He will forever be known for the clutch shots he hit in playoff games, with the most famous being the turnaround jumper he knocked down with just 0.4 seconds on the clock against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004 postseason.
That was not the only big shot he made though, as he also hit a go-ahead three with 30 seconds remaining in a playoff game against the Utah Jazz, a game-winning three to beat the Dallas Mavericks, a buzzer-beating layup to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, a running layup with three defenders on him late in the game to cement an NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics, and a game-tying three to send a game to overtime in the Finals against the Orlando Magic before knocking down a go-ahead three late in overtime of the same game.
Fisher will forever be known as one of the most clutch players not only to ever wear a Laker uniform but in NBA history as he seemed to hit his biggest shots in the biggest moments and Kobe Bryant always trusted him during those times.
His best season with the Lakers came in 2007-08 when he averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range. More than his stats on the court though, Fisher is known for his leadership off of it and his big-game experience.
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