Feb. 18, 2026, 11:01 p.m. PT
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.
During the Lakers’ 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.
While at the University of Maryland, Adrian Branch was a stud who averaged 16.4 points a game over four seasons. He was chosen in the second round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, and after spending the 1985-86 season in the Continental Basketball Association, he joined the Lakers for the 1986-87 campaign.
In his lone campaign with Los Angeles, Branch averaged 4.3 points in 6.8 minutes a game and got himself an NBA championship ring. He played three more seasons in the league for three other teams and ended up with a career average of 6.4 points in 11 minutes a game. Afterward, the 6-foot-7 forward had a stint in Australia’s National Basketball League during the early 1990s.
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