Jan. 18, 2026, 1:00 a.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.
Mack Calvin, a six-foot-tall point guard who spent two seasons at the University of Southern California, was taken by the Lakers in the 14th round of the 1969 NBA Draft. But instead of playing in the NBA, he opted to head to the rival American Basketball Association (ABA) and suit up for the Los Angeles Stars. In seven seasons in the ABA, he averaged 19.9 points and 5.8 assists a game while making the All-Star team five times in a row.
Once the ABA folded in 1976, Calvin finally played for the Lakers and appeared in 12 games with them during the 1976-77 season, averaging 7.9 points in 17.3 minutes per game. Early that season, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, and he retired from the NBA in 1981 with a career league average of seven points in 15 minutes a contest.
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