My 5 favorite Lakers

There is an extent to which I am an organized person. I like to make lists of things. It helps to make life seem a little bit orderly I suppose. I grew up in the late 80's-90's in Southern California. This weighs heavily on all aspects of my life including sports. I've been a fan of The Lakers since I could remember, and I was thinking about this list yeaterday, so what better way to start this blog off.

Here are my top 5 Lakers with grossly oversimplified explanations...

5. Byron Scott
When I was a kid I remember thinking that Byron was automatic. He could rain down threes all day, come up with crucial steals, and have the sweetest high-top fade on the team (not to mention the stache). He made things happen and he looked good doing it.

4. Kobe Bryant
He has to be on the list for longevity alone. He's been a Laker his entire career and he has been consistently awesome. He helped bring Showtime back to L.A., makes amazing shots look easy, and plays aggressively. He plays through pain and he frequently hands defenders their asses. Okay, so he is a bit of a primadonna, but if you were that good for that long wouldn't you be?

3. Orlando Woolridge
Yeah, I know. This is really high for a bench player, but I loved Orlando. LOVED him. My brother and I would cheer insanely whenever Orlando got the ball because we knew that some amazing shit was about to happen. He would always dunk hard. His dunks looked like they hurt the rim and he always made them look easy even when they were mind-numbingly difficult. Look him up on Youtube. Freakin' awesome.

2. Chick Hearn
Now, he was never technically on the court, but he was a Laker nonetheless. There is arguably no one that has been more of a Laker. Chick's voice was like a hot cup of cocoa on a cold day. It was soothing. Whether someone was put in the popcorn machine or the jello was jiggling he was never at a loss for words. His delivery was smooth and he made you feel like you were sitting down in your living room watching the game with your Grandpa. I cannot imagine growing up and not hearing Chick's voice.

1. Magic Johnson
So, he's probably my favorite player ever. He was flashy, but somehow humble. Hard working, but somehow easy going. There's a little thing called the no-look pass, and then there's the Magic Johnson shake-my-head-back-and-forth-and-jelly-leg-my-defender-into-Dyann-Cannon's-lap-no-look pass. He played every position and he was never a detriment or a ball-hog or a liability. And he had a song written about him at the height of his awesomeness. It's a good song too.

Honorable Mentions:
Big Game James, Bobert Horry,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaq-Fu: Da Return, A.C. Green, Mark Mad Dog, Anthony Peeler, Sedale Threatt, Nick Van Quick