Los Angeles Lakers first-round draft pick Cameron Carr actually has a small connection with his new team. His father, Chris Carr, was a second-round pick back in 1996 and spent six seasons in the NBA. He even competed in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, which was won by Lakers icon Kobe Bryant.
Now having the opportunity to play for that purple and gold that was the home of Bryant for 20 seasons, Carr called it a childhood dream, via Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the L.A. Times:
Re: the family connection with his dad competing against Kobe Bryant in the dunk contest and now him heading to the Lakers: "It's like a childhood dream. … When you think about basketball, its hard not to think about Kobe Bryant." https://t.co/Z47M7mlpDr
— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) June 24, 2026
At 21 years old, Carr wasn’t yet born when his father faced off with Bryant in the dunk contest that also included Hall of Famer Ray Allen and former Lakers coach Darvin Ham. But it was Carr who finished as the runner-up to Bryant with the Lakers legend sealing the deal with the famous “Eastbay Funk” between-the-legs dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.
Like Carr said, it’s hard not to think about Bryant when thinking about the game of basketball as his imprint was just that massive. Now, Carr will have an opportunity to create his own legacy in the purple and gold and the young guard has the tools to do so.
Like his father, Carr is an excellent athlete who tested extremely well at the NBA Draft Combine with the second-highest standing vertical, second-fastest lane agility and third-highest max vertical. He possesses a wingspan of over 7-feet which explains how he was able to average 1.3 blocks per game last season as a guard.
In addition to his excellent defensive potential, Carr averaged 18.9 points per game while knocking down 37.4% from 3-point range on 6.1 attempts per game. Playing alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will only provide even more open looks for Carr as he develops the rest of his offensive game, but the potential is there for him to be an impact player on this team.
Lakers agree to four-year, $185 million deal with Austin Reaves
The Lakers were able to handle one of their biggest pieces of offseason business as they agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal with Austin Reaves. The deal starts at $41.3 million for next season and includes a player option for the final year.
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