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.
Magic Johnson forever changed and defined the image and mystique of the Lakers upon being taken by them with the No. 1 pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 point guard quickly proved to be one of the greatest and most versatile players ever — one who was a legitimate scoring threat, arguably the greatest passer ever, a threat on the boards and an underrated team defender. His ability and proclivity to frantically push the pace down the middle of the floor, even after made baskets, resulted in the Lakers of the 1980s becoming basketball’s quintessential fast-break team.
In his first 12 seasons, Johnson averaged 19.7 points on 52.1% shooting, 7.3 rebounds and 11.4 assists a game, was named to 12 All-Star games and won three regular-season MVP awards. He led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances and five championships, and he was named the finals MVP three times. His battles against Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics became legendary, and that individual rivalry is considered by many to be the greatest in basketball history.
Johnson was forced to retire in the fall of 1991 after testing positive for HIV. He returned midway through the 1995-96 season and put up 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists a game that year before retiring for good. Throughout his post-playing career, Johnson has spearheaded a number of entrepreneurial projects, including some that have created jobs and opportunities in low-income, predominantly Black communities.
He has also become a successful owner of teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Commanders. As part of the ownership group that purchased the Dodgers in 2012 (a group that includes new majority Lakers owner Mark Walter), Johnson has added three World Series titles to his hardware collection.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 32 — Magic Johnson
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
