Destined For Greatness: The Top 10 Draft Picks in LA Lakers History

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied and successful franchises in the history of the NBA, and have established a legacy which will endure for generations. The list of players who have donned the purple and gold reads like a who's who of NBA royalty, and because Laker ownership is dedicated to excellence, Los Angeles has been able to maintain that through the years. Even more impressive is the delicate manner which Dr. Jerry Buss, Jerry West, and now Mitch Kupchak have gone about constructing the team so it is relevant each season. The Lakers have won 15 NBA championships and have only missed the postseason two times due to the ability of management to blend talent through free-agency, trades, and the NBA draft. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O'Neal were some of the most dominant centers of their era, and the Lakers were able to pry all three away from different teams. The list of talent which Los Angeles acquired by means of the draft is just as impressive, and may be even more responsible for the sustained glory of the franchise. I have attempted to compile a list of the very best draft picks in Los Angeles Lakers' history, and similar to the unpredictability of the draft. my list may be hit or miss on some targets. But I feel the majority of my choices are ones you would agree with and the basis of my criteria is fairly simple. Only two players are on the list from the franchises' days in Minnesota, because thse particular two had the most significant impact once the team moved to Los Angeles. The other eight are all picks made since the team has been in the City of Angels, and although some of the players ended their careers in other cities, their best playing days were with the Lakers. The very best path to success in the NBA is to build a team of players patterned on your own philosophy, and from Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have been successful in that respect. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a stroll ...