NBA legend Magic Johnson, widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in basketball history, recently unveiled his Top 5 all-time Los Angeles Lakers players. Johnson, who led the franchise to five NBA championships during the Showtime era, has been a defining figure in Lakers history. Given the team’s rich legacy of superstars, his selections naturally sparked debate among fans.

During an appearance on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, Johnson acknowledged that narrowing down a list to just five players was an almost impossible task.

“You’ve got to start with Cap (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). You got Kobe. That’s easy. Those two are easy,” Johnson said. Scott then pushed Magic to include himself in the rankings, to which Johnson reluctantly agreed. “I don’t really talk about myself like that,” he admitted.

Rounding out his list, Johnson added Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James, with the latter being a somewhat surprising choice. “Now, because he’s here, uh, he’ll probably fit in there with LeBron and then probably Shaq,” he explained.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Magic says 20 other players could be considered

After naming his top five, Johnson was quick to acknowledge that many more Lakers legends deserve recognition, estimating that as many as 20 players could be included. He highlighted names like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and James Worthy, along with key contributors such as Michael Cooper and Derek Fisher.

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“But you got Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, you got Clever, you got so many dudes that it’s hard to say just five,” Johnson said. “You almost have to say 15 or 20, and no other franchise—Boston would probably be right there with us—but not too many franchises can say they got this many dudes who were all-time greats… I mean, Jamal Wilkes, it’s just so many guys. That’s what makes us special.”

Magic on why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stands above the rest

While Johnson hesitated to create an all-time Lakers ranking, he made it clear that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stands in a class of his own. “I don’t really try to look at an all-time greatest list for the Lakers because it’s just too many of them… I would say this—Kobe, one of my favorites. Cap, one of my favorites, because nobody in this league has ever dominated like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and nobody’s dominated this city.”

Johnson also emphasized Kareem’s unparalleled success at both the college and professional levels. “Remember this now—this dude got more championships, and nobody in college did what Kareem did. Three straight national championships and three straight MVPs of the Finals as well,” he said.

“The greatest college player in history by far—there’s no second. What he’s been able to do for the game of basketball, I would say this: the greatest to ever change basketball forever. Nobody’s done what Kareem/Lew Alcindor was able to do for the game, both in college and the NBA. What he’s been able to do is amazing.”