Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982, Slater Martin won four championships with Minneapolis. In seven seasons for the team, he made four All-Star teams and received two All-NBA second team nods. His career-high of 35 points came in 1954 against the Boston Celtics.

While he never put up gaudy numbers, Derek Fisher was a key member of five championship teams. He hit countless big shots during his 915 regular season and 193 postseason outings with LA. Fisher is third in franchise history with 846 made three-pointers.

Feb 8, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former Los Angeles Lakers players Derek Fisher and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar along with coach Phil Jackson during a ceremony for the unveiling of a statue for former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Spending his first six seasons with the Lakers, Norm Nixon was an All-Star in 1981-82. The 6-foot-2 guard was a starter for both the team’s 1980 and 1982 championships. Nixon averaged at least eight assists four times and seventeen points on three occasions.

A territorial pick, Vern Mikkelsen’s 10-year career was all spent with Minneapolis. The six-time All-Star won four championships in the early 1950s. The 6-foot-7 forward made the All-NBA second team four times.

The Lakers were certainly glad they used a territorial pick on Gail Goodrich in 1965. The 1972 NBA champion had two stints for the team totaling nine years. He was named an All-Star in four of them and made the All-NBA first team in 1973-74.

Michael Cooper definitely overachieved as to where he was drafted in the third round. A 12-season career (all with the Lakers) saw him win five championships and earn a reputation as one of the game’s all-time best backcourt defenders. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1986-87 and also earned a spot on eight All-Defensive teams.

Known as ‘Big Game James’, James Worthy won three championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. In the last of the three (1988), the 6-foot-9 forward was named Finals MVP. Worthy was named an All-Star in seven straight seasons spanning from 1985-86 until 1991-92.

Unfortunately for Elgin Baylor, he helped the Lakers reach eight NBA Finals, but they didn’t win any. That shouldn’t take away from the magnificent career that the 11-time All-Star had in the league. The 1958-59 Rookie of the Year averaged more than 30 points three times and is the franchise’s all-time leader in rebounds (11,463).

Playing 14 seasons all with the Lakers, Jerry West was an All-Star in every one of them. He won a title in 1972, made nine NBA Finals appearances, and was the only player to win Finals MVP in a losing effort (1969). ‘The Logo’ finished his career with stellar averages of 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.

Still seen as the GOAT point guard by many, Magic Johnson won five championships with the Lakers. He was named Finals MVP three times, regular season MVP three times, and made nine straight All-NBA first teams. He was a league leader in assists (4X), steals (2X), and free-throw percentage (1X).