May 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Magic Johnson attends a WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Magic Johnson Lists Top Five Lakers, And Leaves Out Surprise Legend

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Magic Johnson is one of the best players in Los Angeles Lakers history. He was the number one overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft and helped the Lakers win five championships.

Not only is he one of the best Lakers players in history, but many still consider him the best point guard of all time. He is NBA royalty, and he had skills that no one else in history had.

There have been a lot of really good players who have played for the Lakers in their history. Johnson named his five best, but left off a very prominent name from his list.

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Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson decided to name his top five Lakers players of all time recently. He ended up leaving off a very important name.

"I would say Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, and when I think about it, you have to put Wilt and Jerry in there. James Worthy would definitely qualify. But you try to do five Lakers, and it's impossible. Because you've got put LeBron now. So I don't know how you get to five." Magic said while talking to the Basketball Network.

It's certainly a tough list to put together because of how many legends the Lakers have had play for them. They are one of sports' most famous franchises because of how many legends have played for them.

Keeping LeBron James off the list is nothing personal. Johnson probably made that call because he spent the majority of his career playing for teams other than the Lakers.

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LeBron James still has work to do as a Lakers legend

What this list shows is that James still has work to do if he wants to be considered one of the all-time greats to put on a Lakers uniform. He only has one championship with Los Angeles.

The Lakers are still hoping that they can win a title with James on the roster in the next couple of years, with him and Luka Doncic sharing the court together.

In his career with the Lakers, James has averaged 26.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. He is shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.