Top 5 Lakers Small Forwards of All Time
By Hannah Kulik
Jul 29, 2014; El Segundo, CA, USA; New head coach Byron Scott (right) shakes hands with former Lakers player Jamaal Wilkes at a press conference to announce Scott as Los Angeles Lakers coach at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Simply put, Wilkes is one of the greatest basketball players in California’s history. A success on and off the court, Wilkes won every award imaginable at each level of competition. Perhaps one anecdote sums it up best: When asked his idea of the perfect basketball player, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden started to list key traits but then caught himself and concluded: “Why not just take Jaamal Wilkes and let it go at that.”
Wilkes was born in Berkeley but raised in Ventura, California, the son of a Baptist minister. He achieved every conceivable accolade during his prep career at Ventura High School, but his family moved to Santa Barbara before his senior year so he played his final prep season for Santa Barbara High School where he again was the ultimate star.
He later became a two time All American at UCLA, where he was part of the team that won an NCAA record of 88 consecutive games, a feat that will likely never be matched. Teamed with Bill Walton, the Bruins won NCAA titles in 1972 and 1973.
Drafted by the Golden State Warriors, Wilkes won Rookie-of-the Year Honors in the NBA in 1975, a year in which the Warriors also won the NBA title. He won three more titles with the Lakers in 1980, 1982, and 1985. Everyone remembers Johnson’s 42-point effort in the decisive game of the 1980 finals, when Abdul-Jabbar was injured, but Wilkes scored 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in that game.
Such was his career. He was so smooth (his nickname was Silk) that he was at times overlooked. But those who played with and against him were fully aware of his incredible skill. When he retired he became a successful businessman and remains a visible member of the Lakers’ fraternity of iconic former players.
Today, his jersey hangs proudly from the raptors of the Staples Center which is precise where Wilkes deserves to be: alongside the greatest Lakers players of all time.
Next: James Worthy