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 2006, the rebuilding Lakers badly needed more firepower alongside Kobe Bryant. That summer, they signed Vladimir Radmanović, a sharpshooting 6-foot-10 forward. In five previous NBA seasons, he had averaged 10.1 points a game and shot 38.1% from 3-point range, and it was projected that he would make defenses pay for corralling Bryant.
While Radmanović had his moments, he never truly panned out with the Lakers. He was unfocused, and it got to the point where coach Phil Jackson called him a “space cadet.” During his first season with L.A., he injured his shoulder while snowboarding, an activity that was outlawed by his contract with the team, and lied about how he sustained the ailment. He ended up missing nearly two months of action and was fined $500,000 for his dishonesty.
The forward ultimately lost his spot in the Lakers’ rotation midway through the 2008-09 campaign and was traded shortly afterward to the Charlotte Bobcats. He remained in the league through the 2012-13 season.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 10 — Vladimir Radmanović