Last call: Greatest Lakers

As we start the countdown of the 10 greatest L.A. Lakers of all time, this is just another reminder to send in your picks for the 10 greatest L.A. Lakers of all time, via e-mail to houston.mitchell@latimes.com or via the comment field below. I've received about 200 ballots so far, and there is basically a four-way tie for the lead.

And now, without further ado, the 10th and 9th greatest L.A. Lakers of all time, as selected by a commitee of one:

#10

Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper is the greatest defensive player in Lakers history. It is a testament to how good the Lakers were in the 1980s that Michael Cooper came off the bench. He would have started for almost any other team in the NBA. He also was an excellent three-point shooter and inventor of the Coop-a-Loop. And it is high time that the Lakers retire his number.

#9

Gail Goodrich

Even though Goodrich is in the Hall of Fame and has had his number retired, he has become sort of the forgotten player in Lakers history, overshadowed by his teammates and the Showtime Lakers. But, he averaged 25.9 points a game in the 1971-72 title season, and averaged 19.5 points a game in his Lakers career. And when the Lakers traded him to the New Orleans Jazz, they parlayed one of the draft picks they received into Magic Johnson.

Next Friday, the 7th and 8th greatest Lakers of all time.

-- Houston Mitchell

Comments

[Eddie Tucker]

Magic, Karim, Coop, Worthy, Kobe, Goodrich, West, Nixon, Shaq - and Chick Hearn!

[Jim Mallon]

Gail Goodrich was always my fave. He was a lefty, I am a lefty. Loved me some #25.

[Suzy Creamcheese]

Kobe Bryant, absolutely!

[ed vazquez]

Top lakers (drafted and played entire career as lakers):
Jerry West
Magic Johnson
Geroge Mikan
James Worthy
Elgin Baylor
Kobe Bryant

[Gene Siegel]

(1) Kareem Abdul Jabbar
(2) Kobe Bryant
(3) Jerry West

[Jefferson H Rowley]

1) Elgijn Baylor, 2) Jerry West, 3), Magic Johnson, 4) Kareem Abdul Jabbar, 5) George Mikan, 6) James Worthy, 7) Gail Goodrich, 8) Michael Cooper, 9) Jim Pollard, 10) Wilt Chamberlin.

[Ivan Gutierrez]

1)Jerry West
2)Magic Johnson
3)Kareem Abdul Jabbar
4)Elgin Baylor
5)Shaqille Oneal
6)Kobe Bryant
7)George Mikan
8)James Worthy
9)Michael Cooper
10)Wilt Chamberlain

[DC]

I cannot believe that Mikan isnt more respect: 7 Championships, 6 with the Lakers. He invented drills used today for post players. He cause the creation of the Lane, and the 24 second clock. Whenever you hear Lakers Championship stats, he did 1/2 of them. I think that Kareem was a better NBA player, but Mikan was the best Laker, using the one benchmark by which teams and dynasties are measured. The same logic has Shaq in 5th place. When peers were selected, I defaulted to the best of the two or three selected, and if that was not obvious, then by All Star appearances. As a result, you will see an oldest school bias in the rest of my picks. Unfortunately, this hurts Shaq-Kobe and West-Chamberlin. For the record, my favorite player was Magic, and the best Laker (if not basketball player of all time at all levels of the sport) was Kareem, imho.

1) Mikan
2) Jabbar
3) Johnson
4) Martin
5) Shaq
6) Bryant
7) West
8) Mikkelsen
9) Worthy
10) Chamberlin

[Sarah Palin]

Micheal Jordan of course