On Sunday evening, Austin Reaves had the best game of his career to date. The talented Los Angeles Lakers guard operated as the clear No. 1 option for the team on a night without both Luka Dončić and LeBron James, and Reaves erupted for 51 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings. In the process, he became the 12th player in Lakers history to reach the 50-point threshold in a single game, joining a number of future Hall of Famers on an exclusive list that will probably expand to 13 pretty soon given the presence of Dončić.
With that as the backdrop, the aim of this space is to rank the 12 players based only on their overall Lakers contributions. As you'll see, there are a few players who are all-time greats on the list, but some did not spend as long in Los Angeles as others. That is an important distinction to draw, and it is sometimes difficult to compare across NBA eras. Still, it is a fun exercise, and the countdown will begin at No. 12 overall.
12. Cedric Ceballos
There are some 50-point games in NBA history that seem to be almost completely random, and if you are a younger person, Cedric Ceballos popping up on this list might be a shock. However, he put up 50 points in a 108-95 win on Dec. 20, 1994. That performance came in the midst of arguably Ceballos' best NBA season, as he earned his only All-Star berth while averaging 21.7 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Lakers. There is an argument that he might still be too low on this list given that All-Star season, but it's a testament to the quality of the list.
11. Austin Reaves
Reaves is the only player without an All-Star appearance on the list, and Reaves vs. Ceballos is a real argument. With that said, Reaves put up 20.2 points and 5.8 assists last season as the No. 3 option in L.A., and his strong start in 2025-26 has many turning their heads. Another thing to remember? Reaves will likely be a free agent this summer, which could mean that his Lakers tenure might be only five seasons.
10. Rudy LaRusso
It is probably safe to say that LaRusso is the least known player on this list for a contemporary audience, but he had a very strong Lakers career. Over eight seasons, LaRusso made three All-Star teams with the Lakers, and that gives him a small leg up on Reaves and Ceballos.
9. Gail Goodrich
We've reached the start of the Hall of Fame list here, with Goodrich earning entry into Springfield after a five-time All-Star career that included the 1972 NBA title. He spent nine of his 14 NBA seasons with the Lakers, averaging 19.0 points per game. He is in the top ten in Lakers history in numerous categories, including points, assists, and minutes played, and Goodrich had a 53-point game with the Lakers.
8. Anthony Davis
Davis's tenure in Los Angeles spanned only 312 regular season games across six seasons, but he is another future Hall of Fame player that helped to bring a title to Los Angeles. He also averaged a whopping 24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocked shots per game with the Lakers, earning a great deal of league-wide recognition in the process.
7. Wilt Chamberlain
Chamberlain is often discussed as one of the ten best players of all-time, and with good reason. He holds a number of NBA records, including the highest scoring average (50.4 per game) in league history, and Chamberlain was a 13-time All-Star and 10-time All-NBA selection. Needless to say, it feels a bit odd that he is this low on a single franchise list, but Chamberlain only spent five years with the Lakers and never won an MVP with the team. He was still a monster, but not quite at the same level once he moved to the Lakers in 1968.
6. George Mikan
MIkan was the centerpiece of five championships for the Minneapolis Lakers. He is often a player that is difficult to characterize, simply because the league was so different from 1948-1956 when he was playing. Still, Mikan is an inner-circle Hall of Fame player who spent his entire career with the Lakers franchise. This placement is kind of a compromise overall, but Mikan was the first great NBA big man. That shouldn't be forgotten.
5. LeBron James
LeBron James is rightly included in GOAT discussions, but he shouldn't be in Lakers GOAT discussions. That is a product of two things: 1) His best years came elsewhere, and 2) He doesn't have the longevity with the Lakers that some others do. Make no mistake, LeBron has still been incredible in Los Angeles, leading a title-winning team, earning All-NBA honors in each Lakers season, and averaging 27-8-8 even in the back part of his career.
4. Shaquille O'Neal
O'Neal spent only eight of his 19 NBA seasons with the Lakers, but he is still remembered most for his contributions in Los Angeles. His career high of 61 points came in 2000 with the Lakers, and O'Neal brought three titles to Los Angeles. He also averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game in 514 Lakers appearances, and his only NBA MVP came with Los Angeles in 1999-00.
3. Elgin Baylor
Baylor was a one-franchise player, appearing in games for the Lakers in 14 different seasons. He is also an all-time great, making 11 All-Star teams, earning Hall of Fame honors, and averaging 27.4 points per game in more than 800 outings. Baylor has the second-most 50-point games in Lakers history, and if anything, he seems to be underrated at this juncture.
2. Jerry West
West is No. 2 on the Lakers all-time scoring list and, like Baylor, he was a one-franchise player over 14 NBA seasons. West put up 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Lakers, earning 14 All-Star appearances, a scoring title, an assist title, and Finals MVP in a series in which his team didn't even win. West is an all-time great and, for almost any other franchise, he'd be the clear No. 1 on a list like this one.
1. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is No. 1 on the Lakers all-time list in points, games played, minutes played, field goals, three-point field goals, free throws, steals, and win shares. The argument can basically stop there. He also had the most 50-point games (25) in team history, and the Hall of Fame guard was named to 18 NBA All-Star teams. It could be argued that Bryant's peak may not have been as high as a couple of players on this list, but when you factor in longevity in both his overall career and Lakers tenure, the answer at No. 1 is easy.