National Basketball Association

West: Kobe is greatest Laker of all time

Published Jun. 2, 2010 9:32 p.m. ET

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When it comes to determining the best players in Los Angeles Lakers history, Jerry West is well qualified to make that judgment.

West played with Elgin Baylor and was the team's general manager during the careers of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

And, of course, West himself is a Lakers legend.

So who's the best? On Los Angeles radio station KLAC, West called Bryant "the greatest Laker player we've ever seen in terms of talent and in terms of determination. I've never seen one like him. I have great admiration for (Kareem) Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson. But we've never seen a player with his talent in a Laker uniform."

That's a strong statement considering the competition.

Magic led the Lakers to five championships and was a three-time MVP. Kareem is the leading scorer in NBA history. West's image remains the league's logo. Baylor and Shaquille O'Neal are all-time greats.

So how does Kobe compare?

Bryant became the franchise's all-time scoring leader this season, surpassing West. He's led the Lakers to the NBA Finals for the third straight season and is going for his fifth championship. He won three with O'Neal from 2000-02 and earned his fourth last season.

At 31, Bryant dealt with several injuries during the regular season but has raised his game in the playoffs. He's scored at least 30 points in 10 of his last 11 games.

"He's playing his best basketball I've ever seen him play, to be honest with you," West said. "When he shoots shots, a lot of people would probably think they're bad shots, but with him he's not only creative but he's a shot maker. Some people are creative but they're not shot makers. He can make tough shots. He just seems to will the ball in the basket."

West said it's no accident that Bryant is thriving again in the playoffs.

"Your great players, this is the time for them to shine, because you can't really run your offenses," he said. "After the first couple of games everyone will be waiting on everyone. The team that has the best ability to beat people off the dribble and be creative are the ones that are gonna be successful. And there's no better player that I've ever seen in my life than him."