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.
As the Lakers embark on their 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.
After averaging 27.6 points and 13.8 rebounds a game in three seasons at Western Kentucky University, Jim McDaniels started his pro basketball career during the 1971-72 season with the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In 58 games with them, he averaged 26.8 points and 14 rebounds a game, but he jumped to the NBA to conclude the season after the Seattle SuperSonics took him in the 1971 draft.
In the NBA, the 6-foot-11 big man was a decent contributor who mostly came off the bench. The Lakers signed him just prior to the 1975-76 season, and he put up 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.9 minutes a game with them before they waived him late in the season.
He would play for the Buffalo Braves during the 1977-78 campaign before retiring from basketball.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 11 — Jim McDaniels
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
