00: There has only been one player to ever host the number 00 in Lakers’ history. In 1993 Benoit Benjamin wore the unique number, and he showed it off proudly. However, his stint in Los Angeles ended that same year. Benjamin did not have much success with the Lakers, but he will be remembered as the pioneer for number 00.
0: The number zero is gaining some popularity in the NBA, first Gilbert Arenas immortalized the number, but it quickly fell into shame after the gun incident. Currently Russell Westbrook is wearing the number zero, and he is doing a great job at it. As for the Lakers, there have been only three players to ever wear the number 0: Calvin Garrett, Orlando Woolridge and Soumaila Samake. I doubt anyone remembers who these players were, and for good reason. These set of Lakers did not accomplish much during their time in Los Angeles. However, Woolridge has won the honor after his mediocre two season with the Lakers, when he averaged 11.2 ppg and 3.3 rpg.
1: The number one is a very popular number outside sports. It symbolizes the greatnesses and prestige in a player or human being. However, the number one has a bad reputation in Lakers’ history. Perhaps the most ridiculed player in recent memory, Smush Parker, wore this number. As most Laker fans know, Smush Parker was not the point guard the team was looking for. The other noteworthy player who bore number one was Caron Butler. Butler was Kobe’s prodigy, and for the most part Butler did not upset the Lakers fan. With all that being said, Butler wins this matchup due to the sole fact that Parker was horrible (I say that with the utmost respect.)
2: Despite the fact that Derek Fisher will most likely never be an all-star or hall-of-famer, he holds a special place in Laker fans hearts. Fisher has helped the franchise win five championships, and he has worked along side Kobe Bryant for all of them. Thanks to his clutch threes and unforgettable moments, Derek Fisher is the greatest Laker to wear number 2.
3: The number 3 has been wore many times by Laker players, but only two of them stand out. Devean George and Trevor Ariza are the two most famous holders of the number three. Although George helped the Lakers win three championships, he never made the explosive dunks like Ariza. Ariza was a fan-favorite in Los Angeles, and he was a major player in the Lakers championship run in 2009. The edge goes to Ariza for his stellar play in Los Angeles, which sadly ended in the summer of 2009.
4: Byron Scott is the greatest player to wear the number four, and there is no debate in that. Yes, Scott coaches the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers, but he was a key player in the Showtime era. If it weren’t for Scott, Magic Johnson would have lost one of his best finishers. Scott played a big role on the Lakers team, and he deserves this coveted award.
5: Ah, the number five. This number has been worn 11 times in Lakers history, and is currently on the jersey of Steve Blake. The number five, however, was made famous thanks to Robert Horry. “Big Shot Rob” made several game winning shots with the number, and no one can forget his game winner vs. the Kings. Mr. Big Shot, you have won the honor as the greatest Laker to wear number five.
6: Eddie Jones wore the number six from 1997-1999, and he put up very impressive stats. Jones averaged double-digit points, and he was a key player for the Lakers in the late-1990s. Eddie Jones faced very little competition in this race, since he had to beat out Adam Morrison for the award.
7: Lamar Odom also faced little competition for his number. Odom has been a fan-favorite in Los Angeles for his versatility and occasional highlight plays; there is no question that Lamar Odom is the greatest player to ever wear the number seven.
8: The number eight was worn by Kobe Bryant from 1997-2006, and he accomplished many incredible feats with the number. Kobe won three championships and he scored 81 points in a single game while wearing the number eight. Although he switched to the number 24, Bryant should still be regarded as the best player to wear the number.
9: Nick Van Exel was perhaps the Lakers’ best player in the 1990s, and he dazzled fans with his spectacular plays and moves. Van Exel wore the number for five seasons and in those seasons he averaged nearly 15 points per game.
10: Norm Nixon is currently the Lakers analyst on Fox Sports West, but he was an incredible player back in his hay-day. Nixon wore the number for all of his six seasons with the Lakers and he put up stellar numbers.
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