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 embark on 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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For years, Brook Lopez has been a productive and reliable center in the NBA. He entered the league in 2008 as the No. 10 pick in the draft, and he had played two years at Stanford University after spending a decent chunk of his childhood in the San Fernando Valley.
Lopez spent his first nine seasons in the league with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets and averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game during that time. In 2017, the Lakers acquired him along with the draft rights to Kyle Kuzma from the Nets for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.
He played one season with the Lakers and averaged 13.0 points and 1.3 blocks in 23.4 minutes a game with them. By then, he had evolved from an inside threat offensively to a big man who stretches the floor with his 3-point shooting.
Lopez went on to spend the last seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he won the NBA championship during the 2020-21 season. He has returned to the Southland as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers after signing a two-year, $18 million contract with them over the summer.
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Before he signed that deal, there were rumors that he would return to the Lakers, but they instead went with Deandre Ayton to fill their big hole at the 5 spot.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 11 — Brook Lopez