“Sorry, Boston, but it’s the best franchise in NBA history” - Chris Broussard says the LA Lakers have had almost all of the greatest players in league history
When it comes to the NBA's most prestigious franchises, the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics sit atop the list. Along with having the first- and second-most championships, a majority of the game's greatest players have suited up for at least one of these teams.
While the Lakers might be in the middle of a rough patch now, there is no denying their greatness throughout history. From Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, LA has regularly been one of the NBA's most dominant teams.
The moment the Lakers beat the Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals 🏆 https://t.co/ljmyf8ljlW
During a recent episode of "The Odd Couple," FS1's Chris Broussard dove into the debate of which team is the league's best franchise. He gave the Celtics credit, but believes the Lakers are most deserving of the title.
"They have had almost all of the greatest players in history - probably about half of the best players ever," Broussard said. "I'm just saying that off the top of my head.
"sorry Boston but it's the best franchise in NBA history and they understand the value of having LeBron."
Broussard's main defense is that most of the top players in history donned a Lakers jersey at one point in time. Some of the names he mentioned were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
Are the LA Lakers the NBA's greatest franchise?
A case can be made for the Boston Celtics, but LA is undoubtedly the NBA's most prolific franchise in terms of developing draft picks into Hall of Famers. Between all of their championship banners and the prestige that their name still holds today, it's hard to say if any team will ever come close to topping them.
The biggest thing that puts LA over the top is how mainstream they have become. Even people who aren't big fans of the NBA know who the Lakers are.
Broussard brings up a valid point as well. When you look at the top 15 to 20 players of all time, most of them played for LA at some point in their careers. With so much greatness and talent in their history, it's hard not to award them the title of the league's best franchise.
The Boston Celtics have a similar type of history, but it's more known by hardcore NBA fans. They also have their fair share of firepower with Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, and the late Bill Russell, but it does not stack up to their West Coast counterparts.
Lakers vs. Celtics (1985) https://t.co/wLDTQB24ze
Both franchises deserve credit for what they did to help grow the NBA to what it is today. But if one has to be chosen, it's the famous purple and gold.