Top 5 Lakers Centers of All Time

Ramneet Singh
11 Min Read

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest players not only in Laker history, but in NBA history; the all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points.  Surprisingly, the greatest center in Laker history did not spend his entire career wearing purple and gold.

Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis “Lew” Alcindor, Jr) was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and played six years there.  While playing for the Bucks, Abdul-Jabbar won Rookie of the Year, ’70, and Finals MVP in ’71.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar eventually went to the Lakers in the 1975-1976 season, and he made an immediate impact.

Abdul-Jabbar won regular season MVP in that same season.  Nevertheless, he won MVP the next season, and the 1979-1980 season.  Kareem won regular season MVPs and NBA championships. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played along side Earvin “Magic” Johnson and went on to win five championships, winning Finals MVP in 1984-1985.

The list of achievements do not stop there, Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA Team, 5-time All Defensive Team, and has won two championships as a Laker assistant coach.   He was part of the show-time era, and was one of the reasons why the Lakers are arguably the most popular team in the league.  There should be no argument; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the best center in Laker history.

Follow:
Ramneet is a Staff Writer for Lakers Nation and has been contributing his thoughts on the Lakers and the NBA since 2010. Follow Ramneet on Twitter @Ramneet24.