Gail Goodrich

Five-time All-Star and NBA champion alongside Jerry West — the smallest elite scorer of his era.

Gail Charles Goodrich was born in Los Angeles, California in 1943 and attended UCLA under coach John Wooden, winning two NCAA championships. Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the third round of the 1965 NBA Draft. His 14-season career produced 18.6 points per game along with five All-Star appearances. He won the NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in his record 33-consecutive-win season of 1972 — partnering with Jerry West to form one of the most celebrated backcourts in franchise history. He averaged 25.9 points per game in 1971-72 — his finest individual season. He was named to the All-NBA First Team once. At 6ft 1in he was undersized by NBA standards but compensated with exceptional quickness, intelligence and shooting accuracy. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. His combination with Jerry West in the early 1970s was so celebrated that the trade of Goodrich to New Orleans in 1976 — which netted the Lakers three first-round picks, one of which eventually became Magic Johnson — is one of the most consequential transactions in NBA history. He later worked extensively in television commentary.

Smooth shooter with excellent mid-range game and court vision

Hall of Fame guard known for clutch scoring and professional longevity

• NBA Champion (1972)
• All-Star 5x
• All-NBA First Team
• Hall of Fame (1996)