Fansided

Picking the Sports Mount Rushmore for all 50 states

By Dave Stevenson

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 02: Detail of baseballs during batting practice to the MLB opening day game between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 2, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 02: Detail of baseballs during batting practice to the MLB opening day game between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 2, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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California

Two men have carried the Los Angeles Lakers and made them a must-see team even through the worst of times: Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson. Johnson was the star of the Lakers in the 1980’s, leading them to NBA titles in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. He won three Finals MVPs and was named to the All-NBA First Team nine times. He is also a minority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bryant carried the Lakers through the late 1990’s and 2000’s, leading them to NBA titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. Kobe was the heart and soul of the Lakers during his time there, and perhaps no player is as loved by Lakers fans as the the Black Mamba. Bryant might not be Michael Jordan, but he’s about as close as it gets.

California’s Mount Rushmore is completed by another pair of teammates: Jerry Rice and Joe Montana. Sure, Sandy Koufax and Barry Bonds both have a very strong case to be here. So do Bill Walsh and John Madden. Pete Carroll, too. Heck, even Vin Scully (has ANYONE defined the Dodgers more over the past 50 years than Scully?).

But it’s impossible to think of the best quarterback ever without thinking of the best receiver ever. Montana and Rice were the original Jordan and Pippen. It’s rare to see an elite quarterback paired with an elite receiver, but Montana and Rice put up historically impressive numbers together. It would be so wrong to have either one on California’s Rushmore without the other.

Next: Alabama