Kishan Patel Dunn-5 Essay of Evaluation January 3rd, 2013 The Epitome of Great Typically embodied in purple and

yellow uniforms, the men hailing from Los Angeles previously from Minneapolismesmerize their audience as well their opponents. They are adored not only in the City of Angeles, but throughout the nation as well as the world. The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California is home to two extraordinary basketball organizations the Lakers and the Clippers; however, the former exceedingly overshadows its co-tenant. Since its birth, the Lakers organization has dominated the sport of basketball. Over the years, this prolific group has had its limited share of debacles; nevertheless, they have repeatedly resurrected and combated their way to the pinnacle of the sport. The Los Angeles Lakers franchise is one of the National Basketball Association (NBA)s greatest member, if not the greatest. The organizations adulations are a result of its prolific players, dominance on the basketball court and contribution to the sport as well as its community. Jerry West! Wilt Chamberlin! Magic Johnson! Kareem Abdul -Jabbar! Kobe Bryant! These names have become as synonymous with basketball, as Band-Aid has with adhesive bandages. Each of these greats have made their unique respective mark on the sport. Jerry West became the face of the NBA through his picture-perfect playing style. The logo of the NBA is an outline of Jerry West driving ingoing into opposing players to make a lay-up (The). Wilt

Chamberlin dominated the game with his stupendous shooting skills. Chamberlin is the sole player in the NBA to have scored a century of points in a single game (Wilt). Magic Johnson was a charismatic leader, as well as a player. Johnson is regarded as the best point guard to ever step on the court by ESPN. However, the eloquence of Magic does not rest in his athleticism; instead, it rests in his love for the game. In 1991, Magic was diagnosed HIV positive and thus retired early in his career. However, he returned the following year to play in the All-Star game and win the MVP. Due to a surge of criticism from his playmates, Johnson retired yet again. However, he made an inspirational return to the game four years later in 1996. At age 36, he played 32 games and retired for the third and final time. Ever since his retirement, Magic has been on the frontier of the campaign against HIV and AIDS (Magic). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was an astonishing player, considered as one of the greatest. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBAs all-time leading scorer. He was awarded the leagues coveted MVP award a record 6 times. He is also a best-selling author, writing primarily about the black culture. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton appointed the basketball great as the United States Cultural Ambassador (Kareem). Kobe Bryant is an exceptional player, drafted straight out of high school. His stature is such that he is often compared to the sports greatest Michael Jordan by sports analysts. Bryant has won five championships with the Lakers and has become the NBAs youngest player to score 30,000 points. An American who does not follow the sport is still probable to recognize these greats. Furthermore, these are only five names from the Lakers all-time roster, which includes other greats such as Jamal Wilkins, Shaquille ONeil and Karl Malone. These prolific players have individually led the Lakers organization since its establishment in 1947. Apart from championships, another characteristic of a great team is its dynasties. A sports dynasty is a

lengthy period of time when a particular team dominates the sport. These Lakers greats have engendered thee Lakers dynasties, spanning a total of 31 years (Dynasty). 1940s! 1950s! 1970s! 1980s! 1990s! 2000s! Through the history of the NBA, there has been only one decade in which, the Lakers have not won a championship (Los). Since the NBAs inception in 1946, there have been a total of 66 Finals, and the Lakers have appeared in 31 of them. Unfortuantely, the Lakers have been pulsated in fifteen Finals series. Yet, their total of 16 championships is only second to the Boston Celtics 17 ([Link]). The Lakers have yet another landmark in the history of the finals. The practice of bestowing the NBA Finals MVP to player on the winning team is norm. However, the first Finals MVP was contrarily awarded to No. 44 of the Lakers, Jerry West, in 1969 despite being on the losing team ([Link], Jerry). The series was a basketball thriller between rivals Lakers and Celtics. The Celtics pulled out the greatest finals upset in Game 7, by defeating the favorites 108-106 in Los Angeles (1969). West was awarded the Finals MVP for his prodigious effort. He remains the sole player to achieve this feat. Apart from their appalling 16-15 Finals record, the Lakers remain the most decorated NBA team in context of the Finals. The eminence of the Lakers is not secluded to the basketball court; it flows into the community as well. The Lakers community programs such as, Community Outreach, Community Education, and Lakers Youth Foundation, have virtually made the Lakers into a philanthropic NGO. Through the Community Outreach program, Lakers players partake in fundraisers and volunteering campaigns. They provide for under privileged children, seniors and veterans. Using their stardom as a medium, the players promote healthy living habits to children. The Lakers Community Education campaign recognizes brilliants students and teachers, prior to a home game. Through its Read to Achieve program, it promotes reading.

The Community Education campaign also organizes educational contests such as, Freedom Through My Eyes, an art/essay competition. It also sponsors numerous scholarships. The Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation is yet another marvelous offering from Lakers. The Youth Foundation aims to financially aid local youth organizations, which promote education, teamwork and self-esteem along with sports. The Lakers also organize basketball camps, in which hundreds of children participate, and learn basketball skills from the Lakers players (Community). The Lakers play a critical part for the amelioration of their community. The emergence of media such as the radio, and the television, has propelled the popularity of sports to new heights. This popularity in turn has sparked a new variety of sectionalism; sectionalism fueled by competition between sports teams associated with prominent states/cities of the nation and the world. However few great teams let this sectionalism go unnoticed, because of their appreciators which are pervasive in society. These great teams possess few similarities, such as great players, dominance in the sports and the teams contribution to the community and sport. The Los Angeles Lakers is an epitome of such a great team. The Lakers have had debacle games and seasons; nevertheless, those debacles are minimal compared to their achievements. The Lakers have dominated the NBA, a league which is hailed as the worlds most competitive, through much of its existence. The Lakers all-time roster possesses just about every record in the NBA. The Lakers organization has given its community as much as its fans have given it. Thus, one cannot challenge the fact that the Los Angele Lakers are one of the greatest the sport has and ever will witness.