Our series on the four jerseys fans of every NBA team continues today. It’s Pacific Division week, and today we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Lakers. Remember, we’re not just going to list off four popular players in team history. We know that when you’re wearing a jersey, you’re going for a “look.” So every day we’re going to tell you the jersey you’ve got to have, the jersey you can’t go wrong with (in case you can’t find the first one), the jersey that will make people say “Oh, that’s awesome,” and the joke jersey that will have everyone laughing.
The Lakers are hot on the heels of the Boston Celtics when it comes to championships. They are one of the most successful sports franchises in the world, nevermind the NBA. All that success means a LOT of great players have worn the Lakers colors. With a team like LA, we could do a new set of four jerseys every day of the week and it would be hard to argue with the choices.
That’s just too much pressure for me to handle, so I turned to the expert. Don from Bloguin’s own With-Malice is our resident Lakers expert, so this blog is in his hands now.
Gotta Have:
Magic Johnson — There’s a veritable pantheon of “must have” jerseys from the LA Lakers. I came close to picking Jerry West, but you have to go with Magic (tho’ I’m wondering if that’ll change the next season we see “World Peace” take the floor!). The guy epitomizes the halcyon days of the NBA’s glorified franchise. Magic… his battles with Larry Bird were the stuff legends were made of, and whilst Michael Jordan may have revitalized the NBA, Magic/Larry set the table for him. It’s the definitive Lakers classic, “Johnson 32” (go with the home jersey).
Can’t Go Wrong With:
Kareem Abdul-Jabar — Incredible grace, and the game’s leading scorer – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The #33. The long arcing name over the back “Abdul-Jabbar”… the guy was an absolute legend. There’s just something about the way that name stretches from down, then that perfect arc… kinda like a skyhook (I prefer the road jersey for Kareem!).
“Oh, That’s Cool”:
James Worthy — A popular player, but a little outside the regular LA classic jerseys… but still with enough “Big Game” cache that it has instant class.
Not a jersey you’ll be likely to see on every back, and I guarantee you when people read that “Worthy” on the back, you’ll get a nod of recognition as people realize that you’re sportin’ James’s #42 (again, home jersey).
“Oh, That’s Funny”:
Fletch — Definitely funny, yet also kinda cool… a #99 Fletch jersey. Definitely a classic comedy, and the Lakers dream sequence is awesome. Chevy Chase looks the part better than Will Ferrell too! That quote “Fletch truly defines grace under pressure…” makes me smile every time! Very few teams get to have a jersey like this… get it – and it only comes in the home colours.
There you have it. The four jerseys Lakers fans have got to have. Disagree with us? Let us know who we missed in the comments.
Previous jerseys:
Atlantic Division: Boston, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto
Central Division: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee
Southeast Division: Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, Washington
Pacific Division: Golden State, LA Clippers
Tomorrow: Phoenix
