Lakers Stats:
NBA championships: 14
Last year in Finals: 2004
Playoffs since 1980: 25
Shaquille O'Neal
Magic Johnson
| LOS ANGELES LAKERS ROSTER (* PER = Player Efficiency Rating) | ||||||||
| POS | PLAYER | HT | YEAR | AGE | PTS | REB | AST | PER* |
| G | MAGIC JOHNSON | 6-8 | 1987 | 27 | 23.9 | 6.3 | 12.2 | 27.0 |
| Comment: Regular-season and Finals MVP as Lakers beat Celtics for title; Magic will make sure everyone gets their shots | ||||||||
| G | JERRY WEST | 6-2 | 1965 | 26 | 31.0 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 25.0 |
| Comment: Pick any of his 10 All-NBA seasons; we'll take '65, when he averaged 40 per game in playoffs; don't forget: he's Mr. Clutch | ||||||||
| G | KOBE BRYANT | 6-6 | 2006 | 27 | 35.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 28.1 |
| Comment: Highest scoring average since MJ in '87, but he may have to come off the bench unless Lakers go with a 3-guard offense | ||||||||
| G | GAIL GOODRICH | 6-1 | 1974 | 30 | 25.3 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 18.5 |
| Comment: Five-time All-Star with Lakers, was All-NBA 1st-team in '74 | ||||||||
| F | JAMES WORTHY | 6-9 | 1989 | 27 | 20.5 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 19.0 |
| Comment: Was there ever a prettier sight than Worthy taking a Magic pass on the break and gliding in for a dunk? | ||||||||
| F | ELGIN BAYLOR | 6-5 | 1963 | 28 | 34.0 | 14.3 | 4.6 | 26.6 |
| Comment: How great was he? Was first or second in PER five straight seasons, including second in '63 | ||||||||
| F | HAPPY HAIRSTON | 6-7 | 1972 | 29 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 2.4 | 15.7 |
| Comment: Never an All-Star, but adds some needed inside muscle and rebounding | ||||||||
| F | JAMAAL WILKES | 6-6 | 1981 | 27 | 22.6 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 18.0 |
| Comment: They called him Silk because he was so smooth | ||||||||
| C | SHAQUILLE O'NEAL | 7-1 | 2000 | 27 | 29.7 | 13.6 | 3.8 | 30.6 |
| Comment: His only MVP season was really one of the great individual seasons in history; even made 2nd-team all-D | ||||||||
| C | KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR | 7-2 | 1977 | 29 | 26/2 | 13.3 | 3.9 | 27.8 |
| Comment: People sometimes forget how dominating he was: Led NBA in PER eight different times; MVP in '77 (one of six) | ||||||||
SCOUTING REPORT: Four keys for the Lakers against the Bulls: (1) Use size advantage with Shaq and Kareem, trying to get Gilmore into foul trouble; (2) Run at every opportunity, as Bulls will try to play physical; (3) You can't stop Jordan, but at least contain him with different defenders -- West, Bryant, maybe even Baylor; (4) Make Bulls beat you with the 3-point shot.