Lakers jersey history No. 1 — Smush Parker

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 approach 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.We will now take a look at Smush Parker, who spent two seasons with the Lakers in the mid-2000s.Parker was a fairly athletic 6-foot-4 guard who grew up in New York City.

He played college basketball first at the College of Southern Idaho and then at Fordham University.

Despite averaging 16.5 points and 4.5 assists a game in his final season in the NCAA, he went undrafted in 2002.After brief stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns, as well as some time in the Greek League, Parker signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2005 as a free agent.

At the time, the Lakers were seriously lacking in talent a year after trading Shaquille O'Neal, and they were willing to take a chance on then-24-year-old.His time with the Lakers started out auspiciously, as he scored at least 20 points in three of his first four games.

But soon afterward, he started to get exposed.

Parker had some basic skills that he could use to be fairly productive against lesser teams, but overall, he was an unpolished and immature player.He did, however, contribute to L.A.'s biggest victory that season.

In Game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Phoenix Suns, Parker hit a 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds left and the team down by five points.

Moments later, he forced a turnover on Steve Nash, allowing Kobe Bryant to convert the basket that forced overtime.

Bryant then hit the game-winning shot in overtime to give the Lakers a 3-1 series lead.In two seasons with the Purple and Gold, Parker averaged 11.3 points on 44.1% field-goal shooting and 36.6% from 3-point range, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals a game.

Toward the end of his Lakers tenure, coach Phil Jackson started to tire of the guard's immaturity and poor attitude.

Jackson, who was well known for loathing the mere idea of playing rookies, replaced Parker in the starting lineup with Jordan Farmar, a rookie.Parker would spend part of the following season with the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers.

That would do it for his NBA career, although he would spend several more seasons playing overseas.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No.

1 Smush Parker.

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