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We're getting ready for a brand new season of Los Angeles Lakers basketball, so to count down the days we'll be looking at the best Lakers to wear the number. We'll continue at 38 days until the regular season begins, where we run into our second problematic number.
Who wore it the best: N/A
Number 38 has never been worn by a Minneapolis or Los Angeles Laker. So I went to the NBA record books and found out that number 38 has only been worn by 8 people in the history of the NBA:
Ron Knight (Portland Trail Blazers, 1971-1972)
Dale Wilkinson (Los Angeles Clippers, 1985)
Jeff Cross (Los Angeles Clippers, 1986)
Anthony Cook (Portland Trail Blazers, 1996)
Mikki Moore (Atlanta Hawks, 2003)
Viktor Khryapa (Portland Trail Blazers, 2005-2006 & Chicago Bulls, 2007-2008)
Kwame Brown (Detroit Pistons, 2009-2010)
Vitor Faverani (Boston Celtics, 2014-2015)
And unfortunately, one of those players has ties to the Lakers. Surprisingly, he also might be the best out of this small group. So, the player we will feature for #38 is:
#38 - Kwame Brown
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(Credit: National Basketball Association, Getty Images)
Kwame Brown was selected in the 2001 NBA draft with the #1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards. He had a 12 year NBA career and played for the Wizards, Lakers, Grizzlies, Pistons, Bobcats, Warriors & 76ers. Before the 2005 season started, the Lakers traded Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins to the Wizards in exchange for Kwame and Laron Profit.
Kwame played for the Lakers for 3 seasons before he was traded to the Grizzlies. In what many consider one of the most lop-sided trades, the Lakers received All-Star Pau Gasol in exchange for Kwame, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft right to Marc Gasol and 2 future 1st round picks. His Laker career average ended up being 7.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists & 0.8 blocks in26.6 minutes per game. Kwame great gift to the Lakers was being involved in the trade that brought them Pau Gasol, a key piece to the Lakers 2009 & 2010 Championship seasons.