Los Angeles Lakers: Best Lakers Players since 2000

The Los Angeles Lakers are the biggest franchise in the history of NBA. They have reached a record 31 NBA finals and won 16 NBA championships.

The Lakers hold the distinction of the franchise with the most number of Hall of Famers playing for them. The top four scorers in NBA history have all played in the Lakers uniform at some point in their career. 5 out of the top 6 scorers have played for the Lakers.

So, it is pretty evident that a lot of legends have graced the purple and gold uniform. Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and now LeBron James are some of the revolutionary players that have featured for the Lakers.

The Lakers have struggled in recent years but still have 5 NBA championships since 2000.

In this slideshow, we will have a look at the top 5 Lakers players since 2000:

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#5 Derek Fisher

Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson

Derek Fisher was one of the most important players for the Lakers during the dynasty years. He was a very viable number three option behind Shaq and Kobe and became a fan-favorite.

Fisher holds the record for the most number of playoffs games played and has a historic moment in the playoffs to his name when he hit a buzzer beater in the game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs.

Fisher played in 8 NBA finals, 6 of them with the Lakers. He won 5 NBA championships with the Lakers. Fisher was one of the silent superstars of the Lakers team and was given the responsibility to run the triangle offense as the Point Guard of the team. Fisher was a blessed and a clutch three-point shooter.

#4 LeBron James

James is the fourth highest point-getter in NBA history

LeBron James is in his first NBA season with the Lakers. He is yet to win anything and had a disastrous start to his first year with the team as the team is almost guaranteed to miss the playoffs.

But there is simply no denying the talent that this man possesses. He still had a fantastic individual year, averaging 27 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game for the season. It is also arguable that the struggle for the Lakers was mostly down to the bad luck that they had with injuries. James himself missed 18 games which is the most that he has ever missed in his career.

There could have been other players who might have been put ahead of James since they have already won rings with the team. But James is one of the All-time greats and is still playing in his prime for the Lakers. We can also expect James to climb up this list if he delivers a championship or two in his remaining years with the Los Angeles Lakers.

#3 Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol formed a great tandem with Kobe Bryant

Pau Gasol was a great number two option for the Lakers during their championship runs in 2009 and 2010. He played for the Lakers between 2008-2014 and reached three NBA finals.

Gasol was totally outplayed in the 2008 NBA finals by the Celtics but he recovered strongly and stood his own against Dwight Howard in the 2009 finals. Gasol had always been a great post scorer and playmaker. He was a low-post beast and a player with very high basketball IQ.

Pau Gasol was drafted by the Grizzlies with the third overall pick and won the NBA Rookie of the year award. Gasol was traded to the Lakers from the Grizzlies and right from the start he gelled with Kobe. He provided Kobe with a trustworthy second option and was the player that the team had missed since Shaquille o'Neal.

#2 Shaquille o'Neal

Shaq was a very dominating player in his prime

Shaquille o'Neal is considered as the most dominant center in NBA history. He was the catalyst to the three consecutive championships at the start of the century for the Lakers.

Shaq won a NBA regular season MVP and three consecutive NBA finals MVPs with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also won a ring with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat and had a very illustrious career. Known for his rim-breaking dunks and posters, his most dominating and successful years were with the Lakers.

Shaq and Kobe combined to form the most deadly duo in NBA history. The Lakers were almost unbeatable when the two played together and they have the record of going through the postseason with just 1 defeat.

Shaq is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and NBA finals MVP awards in the same year (2000). He fell just one vote shy of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history in 2000.

#1 Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players ever

Kobe Bryant is probably the greatest Laker ever. Kobe bleeds purple and gold and was one of the most-talked about players in NBA history.

Kobe was known for his relentless mental strength and his clutch displays. He provided some unbelievable individual moments at the Staples Center which included his 81-point outburst against the Toronto Raptors. Kobe was as skill a NBA player as it can get.

Kobe is the third-highest point scorer in the NBA history. He won 5 NBA championships and 2 NBA finals MVP with the Lakers. He also won a regular season MVP award with the team.

Kobe's career was laden with accomplishments. He made 18 All-Star games and was chosen as a starter every time. He also made the All-Defensive teams on 12 occasions, trailing only Tim Duncan who had 15 All-Defensive selections. Kobe is one of the greatest player to ever play this game.