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.
During the Lakers' 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.
After two seasons at the University of Arkansas, Patrick Beverley spent three seasons playing pro basketball overseas before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets during the 2012-13 season. He started to make his name as a pesky and effective defender, despite being just 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, and he also made himself into a terrific 3-point shooter.
In 2017, Beverley was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he spent four seasons and raised his visibility across the league. In the summer of 2022, the Utah Jazz traded him to the Lakers for forward Stanley Johnson and guard Talen Horton-Tucker.
Beverley wasn't quite the same defender as a member of the Lakers, and his outside shooting accuracy has declined. In 45 games with them that season, he averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 26.9 minutes a game while shooting 40.2% from the field and 34.8% from 3-point range.
The Lakers sent him to the Orlando Magic midway through that season, and after the Magic waived him, he finished the season with the Chicago Bulls. Beverley was with the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 campaign, and after a stint with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, he joined PAOK of the Greek Basketball League last month.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 21 — Patrick Beverley
