When Derek Fisher was asked to build an all-time Lakers starting five, he didn’t waste much time on the obvious choices. Magic Johnson at point guard.
Kobe Bryant at shooting guard. Those two were automatic.
“Magic Johnson is definitely starting at point guard on every list,” Fisher said. “… At the two, would be Kobe Bean Bryant.”
That backcourt picks itself for most people, and Fisher was no different. Johnson’s Lakers résumé is loaded: five titles, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and four assists titles across 13 seasons.
Bryant’s case is just as strong, with five championships, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles in 20 seasons. Both men have even called each other the greatest Laker of all time.
For Fisher, though, the next spot went to a player whose impact stretched far beyond what he did on the floor.
“I’m going, Jerry West,” Fisher said. “I think Jerry could be a scoring guard, but I would still play him at the forward position in a lineup with Magic and Kobe… I’m also visualizing if the five guys were playing together on a team.
So the ball’s gonna be in Magic’s hands, the ball’s gonna be in Kobe’s hands. I just need Jerry West shooting that thing lights out.”
West’s playing career with the Lakers included a title, a Finals MVP, and a scoring title in 14 seasons, even though he also had the painful distinction of losing in the NBA Finals eight times. But his Lakers legacy goes well beyond the box score.
He coached the team for three seasons from 1976 to 1979 and got them to the playoffs every year. Later, he worked as a scout and then became general manager at the start of the 1982-83 season, helping shape the “Showtime” era and later bringing Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to Los Angeles in 1996.
That pairing powered the Lakers’ historic three-peat from 2000 to 2002.
The frontcourt was where Fisher had to do more juggling. He spent 12 and a half seasons with the Lakers and won five titles, and when he got to power forward and center, he chose to stack the lineup with size and all-time talent.
“I would play Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] at the power forward,” Fisher said. “… At the center position, I’m always biased.
I would go with Shaq, but obviously, Wilt Chamberlain is a no-brainer as well. Or if you wanna take it all the way back, you could go George Mikan and not make a mistake either.”
Fisher landed on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal, giving him a front line that would be nearly impossible to score against. Abdul-Jabbar won five titles, one Finals MVP, and three MVPs with the Lakers.
O’Neal brought three titles, three Finals MVPs, one MVP, and one scoring title, and Fisher pointed out that while Abdul-Jabbar’s best years came in Milwaukee, he was still phenomenal in Los Angeles. O’Neal, meanwhile, was the league’s most dominant force during his Lakers peak.
That left Fisher’s full five as Johnson, Bryant, West, Abdul-Jabbar, and O’Neal.
He was also asked for one bench player, and after weighing a few names, he settled on LeBron James as the sixth man.
“From a basketball perspective, I would still be leaning towards like a [James] Worthy or a LeBron or a Elgin Baylor,” Fisher said. “One of those versatile forwards that you could play in like a bunch of different positions.
LeBron probably fits best. You could just put him on the court with any other four guys, and he could do anything.”
James fits that description as well as anyone. In eight seasons with the Lakers, he won a title, a Finals MVP, and an assists title.
He also left the Lakers this summer, and Fisher said he was confused by the way fans celebrated that departure. He believes the team will be fine, but he was surprised by the reaction.
Fisher noted that Lakers fans did not respond that way when the other legends on this list moved on, and said James still belongs among the greatest Lakers of all time.
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