The Los Angeles Lakers have a total of 506 players playing for them throughout the 2024-25 season, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some are forgettable, some are serviceable, some are good, and some are downright legendary.
In the 80th season of the Lakers franchise, founded in 1946 as the Detroit Gems, LeBron Wire is taking a look at every player who has worn one of their uniforms, whether it’s the purple and gold or those from their early days in the Midwest.
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In 1959, the Lakers selected 6-foot-4 guard Bobby Smith in the third round of the NBA draft after he played college basketball at West Virginia University. He played for the Lakers for two seasons, averaging 2.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 10.5 minutes per game.
Those were Smith’s only two seasons in the NBA. He later served as the varsity basketball head coach at George C. Marshall High School in Virginia and was an assistant coach at West Virginia University from 1978 to 1985.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: No. 21/No. 21 in Lakers Jersey History. 24 — Bobby Smith