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 embark on 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.

During the 1999 season, the Lakers traded Eddie Jones, a popular two-way guard who was in his fifth season with them, to the Charlotte Hornets for sharpshooter Glen Rice. Rice had been named to the All-Star game in each of the previous three seasons and was one of the game’s deadliest 3-point shooters, as well as a major scoring threat. It was projected that he would make defenses pay for keying on Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

But it turned out that Rice was in decline by the time he came to L.A. While he would have his moments with the team, he didn’t quite make the impact that was expected, and the trade that brought him to town became a controversial one.

That trade also brought the Lakers power forward J.R. Reid. Reid has been a decent rotation player in nine previous NBA seasons, and with Los Angeles during the 1999 campaign, he averaged five points and four rebounds in 18.9 minutes a game.

Reid would play two more seasons in the league before spending a couple more years playing basketball in Europe. He would later become an assistant coach at Patrick & Henry Community College and Monmouth University.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 11 — J.R. Reid