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.
When the 1991-92 season began, Magic Johnson was forced into retirement after discovering he was HIV-positive, which triggered a long-term rebuilding project. The Lakers would have to start collecting young prospects in the hopes that a few of them would pan out and help them return to the NBA’s upper echelon.
That season, Demetrius Calip, a 6-foot-1 guard, got to suit up for them. He went undrafted in 1991 after playing four years at the University of Michigan, where he won a national championship in 1989 and averaged 20.5 points a game as a senior.
He would appear in seven games for Los Angeles and registered a total of 11 points, five rebounds and 12 assists in 58 minutes. Calip would never play in the NBA again.