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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.
Spencer Haywood was a big-time basketball star in the 1970s. He won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 1968, and in 1969, he turned pro by joining the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association, even though he hadn't played four years of college basketball yet.
Back then, the NBA forbade underclassmen from declaring for the draft, but Haywood, whose family was financially underprivileged, filed an antitrust suit against the league that eventually allowed underclassmen to enter the NBA draft. He spent his first five seasons in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, and after that, he played three seasons and change with the New York Knicks.
But even though Haywood made four straight NBA All-Star teams, he never played on a team that was remotely close to being able to contend for the championship. That changed when he was traded to the Lakers prior to the 1979-80 season.
It was Magic Johnson's rookie year, and with Haywood contributing off the bench, they went to the NBA Finals. But Haywood developed a cocaine problem off the court, and on the court, he feuded with teammates and coach Paul Westhead. The 6-foot-8 forward was dismissed from the team during the championship series after getting into an argument with teammate Brad Holland. He could only watch from afar as Los Angeles claimed the world title in six games.
Haywood played in Italy the following season before returning to the NBA for two more seasons with the Washington Bullets. He retired with career averages of 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game across both the NBA and ABA, and with the Lakers, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20.3 minutes a game.
He was eventually inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 31 — Spencer Haywood
Continue reading...
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.
Spencer Haywood was a big-time basketball star in the 1970s. He won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 1968, and in 1969, he turned pro by joining the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association, even though he hadn't played four years of college basketball yet.
Back then, the NBA forbade underclassmen from declaring for the draft, but Haywood, whose family was financially underprivileged, filed an antitrust suit against the league that eventually allowed underclassmen to enter the NBA draft. He spent his first five seasons in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, and after that, he played three seasons and change with the New York Knicks.
But even though Haywood made four straight NBA All-Star teams, he never played on a team that was remotely close to being able to contend for the championship. That changed when he was traded to the Lakers prior to the 1979-80 season.
It was Magic Johnson's rookie year, and with Haywood contributing off the bench, they went to the NBA Finals. But Haywood developed a cocaine problem off the court, and on the court, he feuded with teammates and coach Paul Westhead. The 6-foot-8 forward was dismissed from the team during the championship series after getting into an argument with teammate Brad Holland. He could only watch from afar as Los Angeles claimed the world title in six games.
Haywood played in Italy the following season before returning to the NBA for two more seasons with the Washington Bullets. He retired with career averages of 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game across both the NBA and ABA, and with the Lakers, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20.3 minutes a game.
He was eventually inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 31 — Spencer Haywood
Continue reading...
