Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary.
As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years.
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In 1970, the Lakers took 6-foot-5 forward Jim McMillian with the No. 13 pick in the NBA draft. In three seasons at Columbia University, he had averaged 22.8 points and 9.6 rebounds a game, and while there, he led the school to an appearance in the 1968 NCAA Tournament.
As a rookie with Los Angeles, he averaged 8.4 points in 21.6 minutes a game. Under new head coach Bill Sharman, McMillian started the 1971-72 season, his second in the league, as a reserve, but early in the schedule, he replaced the legendary Elgin Baylor in the starting lineup. Baylor promptly retired after being moved to the bench.
With McMillian joining Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and Happy Hairston in L.A.’s starting five, the team went on a 33-game winning streak and finished with a then-record 69 regular-season wins. McMillian averaged 18.8 points a game that year and helped the Lakers win their first NBA championship since moving west from Minneapolis.
He was traded in 1973 to the Buffalo Braves for center Elmore Smith. He would spend six more seasons in the league with the Braves, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers before playing two seasons with Sinudyne Bologna, a pro basketball team in Italy.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 5 — Jim McMillian