Undefeated Poll Featuring 50 Greatest Black Athletes Includes Four Former Lakers Not Named Kobe Bryant

Daniel Starkand
3 Min Read


Undefeated recently released a public ranking of the 50 greatest black athletes of all-time, as they polled 10,350 adults to rank 200 athletes using 20 different surveys.

Four former Los Angeles Lakers players made the list, as Magic Johnson came in at No. 11, followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (13), Shaquille O’Neal (16) and Wilt Chamberlain (26).

There was a notable snub that didn’t show up on the list, and that’s Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Other NBA players that aren’t yet as accomplished as Bryant like Stephen Curry (28) and LeBron James (29) made the list, while retired players Tim Duncan (50), Isiah Thomas (49), David Robinson (46), Bill Russell (36), Julius Erving (17) and Michael Jordan (1) were also all represented.

Bryant not making the list comes as a bit of a surprise considering he won five NBA Championships in his 20 seasons with the Lakers, and was named an All-Star 18 times. His 33,643 career points ranks third in the history of the NBA.

Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal and Chamberlain also all had very accomplished Hall of Fame careers. Johnson won five championships in 13 NBA seasons with the Lakers, being named an All-Star 12 times and MVP of the league three times.

Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, won six championships in his 20-year NBA career with five of them coming in Los Angeles. He was named to an NBA-record 19 All-Star games, and won six MVP awards.

O’Neal played for the Lakers a bit more recently, as he was a part of the three straight championships from 2000-02. The 2016 Hall of Fame inductee was an All-Star 15 times in his 19-year NBA career, winning four championships overall.

Chamberlain, who famously scored a record 100 points in a game, won two championships in his career, with the second coming in the purple and gold. He won four MVP awards and was named to 13 All-Star teams in 14 years in the league.

Following Jordan on the list was Brooklyn Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Willie Mays, and Jesse Owens. Serena Williams, Hank Aaron, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Jerry Rice rounded out the top 10.

Daniel Starkand is a graduate from Chapman University with a degree in journalism and broadcast journalism. He grew up in Burbank, Calif. and played baseball at Burbank High and his first two years at Chapman. Along with serving as the managing editor for LakersNation.com, Daniel also serves as a senior writer, editor and social media manager for DodgerBlue.com Contact: daniel@mediumlargela.com
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