5 Numbers The Los Angeles Lakers Should Retire Next

By Zach Fetaru

5 Numbers The Los Angeles Lakers Should Retire Next

Los Angeles Lakers- Michael Cooper, AC Green, Showtime Era — The Los Angeles Lakers have retired nine numbers in the team's history, a right only reserved to the greatest players in NBA history. The Lakers are notorious for their standard of only retiring the numbers of Hall of Famers who've contributed to their championship success. One day Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol will both be honored, but which other former players are most deserving of having the their numbers raised to the Staples Center rafters?

5. A.C. Green - The "Iron Man"

1987 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics - A.C. Green

5. A.C. Green - The "Iron Man"

1987 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics- A.C. Green — A former All Star and three-time NBA Champion, A.C. Green is the only player to have won championships with both the “Showtime Era” and modern millennium versions of the Lakers. Green last played for the Lakers during the 1999-2000 NBA Season, achieving plenty of success throughout his career. Known as the “Iron Man” for his 1,192 consecutive games played, Green could wind up in the Hall of Fame for his all-time record one day.

4. Robert Horry - That Time Horry Saved The Day

Robert Horry, Mitch Kupchack - Los Angeles Lakers

4. Robert Horry - That Time Horry Saved The Day

Robert Horry, Mitch Kupchack - Los Angeles Lakers — One of the most clutch and successful players in NBA History, Robert Horry won three of his seven NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Horry will always be remembered for his shot against the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, and could wind up in the Hall of Fame as one of the game’s all-time great role players and winners. If that's the case, we could see Horry having his No. 5 jersey retired one day.

3. Michael Cooper - Hanging With Mr. Cooper

Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics 1987 NBA Finals

3. Michael Cooper - Hanging With Mr. Cooper

Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics 1987 NBA Finals — A tremendous athlete and competitor, Michael Cooper was a prototype for which many players try to emulate today. As a defensive stalwart, Cooper won the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year Award, serving as the Lakers' three-point specialist and perennial sixth man on five championship teams. Cooper played all 12 of his seasons with the Lakers, finishing his NBA career in 1990, and is remembered as one of the best role players in team history.

2. Byron Scott - Living The LA Dream

Byron Scott, Los Angeles Lakers

2. Byron Scott - Living The LA Dream

Byron Scott, Los Angeles Lakers — A three-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Byron Scott served as the team's premiere scoring guard during the Showtime Era. Scott, who was raised in Los Angeles, was an intricate part of the team’s late-1980s back-to-back titles. After stints elsewhere around the league, Scott returned to the Lakers in 1996 to finish his playing career. Scott now assumes the role of head coach for the Lakers, the 25th in team history.

1. Derek Fisher - The Players' Choice

2010 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers, Derek Fisher

1. Derek Fisher - The Players' Choice

2010 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers, Derek Fisher — A five-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Derek Fisher is one of the most revered and loved players in the team’s illustrious history. Fisher's timely shot-making, steady presence within the locker room and relationship with Kobe Bryant, make him as deserving as any former Laker to have their number retired. Recently, Fisher made the jump from playing, and into coaching under the tutelage of Phil Jackson with the New York Knicks.

Zach Fetaru is a Los Angeles Lakers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @fanforlife1988 ”like him” on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.

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