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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Kevin McKenna produced solid numbers in four seasons at Creighton University, helping the school reach the NCAA tournament twice. In 1981, the Lakers selected him in the fourth round of the NBA draft.
In his rookie season, he averaged 1.9 points and 0.8 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per game. Although he did not get a second of playing time in the playoffs that year, he did win an NBA championship ring for the Lakers.
McKenna spent the next season in the Continental Basketball Association before returning to the NBA in 1983 with the Indiana Pacers. The 6-foot-5 guard retired from the NBA after the 1987-88 season after career averages of 5.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14.2 minutes per game.
He then served as the head coach at Division II school the University of Nebraska-Omaha from 2001 to 2005 before serving as the head coach at Indiana State University from 2007 to 2010.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers Jersey History No. 30 — Kevin McKenna