2 Recent Title-Winning Lakers Crash List Of NBA's Best Ever For First Time

To celebrate the NBA's upcoming 78th season, eight HoopsHype staffers have compiled their third annual list of the best players in the league's history. This year, to coincide with the NBA's 77 prior seasons, HoopsHype opted to expand its list to include 77 all-time greats.

Naturally, the list was loaded with Los Angeles Lakers luminaries.

Two of those luminaries, however, had the distinction of making the cut for the first time ever (I don't think the same eight staffers have been polled each year for these lists).

Retired power forward/center Pau Gasol, who along with Kobe Bryant helped propel LA to three consecutive NBA Finals from 2008-10 (winning in '09 and '10), came in at No. 58 in his list debut. It's been a big year for cementing Gasol's legacy, as he also saw his No. 16 jersey get retired by the Lakers and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The seven-footer was a four-time All-NBA selection and six-time All-Star with the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls.

"One of the greatest international NBA players of all time, Pau Gasol was a menace in his heyday, a supremely skilled big man who could shoot, dribble a bit, pass and create for teammates, and use his long limbs well when tasked with rebounding and protecting the rim," HoopsHype writes (no specific staffer was credited). "Despite being a well-liked figure around the NBA, winning two rings and having such a well-rounded skill set, Gasol was one of the most glaring omissions of the NBA75 list. We didn’t make the same inexplicable mistake."

Dwight Howard, who played against Gasol's Lakers in a five-game NBA Finals series in 2009 while with the Orlando Magic, came in at No. 62. He won his lone championship while a reserve with the Lakers in 2020, was an eight-time All-Star and All-NBA pick, and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. The 6'10" big man also finished second in MVP voting in 2011.

"At one time, Dwight Howard was the best big man in the NBA, an era that lasted for multiple seasons during his time with the Magic. Howard was an awe-inspiring athlete for his size, who would often sky for rebounds, block shots or finish alley-oops," HoopsHype said. "Like Gasol, Howard was another glaring omission from the NBA75 list despite being a Top 10 rebounder ever, ranking 13th all-time in blocks and having three Defensive Player of the Year awards. But that might have to do with him not being that well-liked by coaches and teammates during his time in the league. Howard was also a huge playoff performer, coming up big both when he was a star with the Magic (he impressively led them to the Finals in 2008-09) and as a role player with the Lakers, finally winning a title in 2019-20."

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