Feb. 14, 2026, 8:52 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.
In the mid-to-late 1950s, Gary Alcorn was a star at California State University, Fresno, where he put up big numbers in the scoring and rebounding departments. The Lakers took him in the 13th round of the 1958 NBA Draft, and one year later, the Detroit Pistons drafted him in the third round.
Alcorn started his NBA career with the Pistons during the 1959-60 season, and the following season, he suited up for the Lakers during their inaugural campaign in Los Angeles. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 8.7 minutes a game while appearing in 20 games for L.A. that year.
He was waived early the next season, and he never played again in the NBA. Alcorn eventually started his own sporting goods store in Fresno, Calif. in 1985, and he was also highly involved in fishing and hunting after his basketball career ended.
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