Lakers: 50 Greatest Players in Franchise History

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28. Rick Fox

Make no mistake that it was perfectly acceptable for Lakers fans to absolutely despise Rick Fox when he first came into the league. Not only was he a member of the Boston Celtics right out of college, but he was also simply that type of player who was a role player with a knack for getting under the skin of opponents. When he joined the Lakers for the 1997-98 season, though, he became revered for those qualities.

Fox spent his last seven NBA seasons in Los Angeles, sticking around for the entirety of the all too short Kobe-Shaq era of the organization. On those teams, he was far from the first, second, or even third option, but he made his mark as a solid two-way player on those teams that helped the engine keep ticking when maybe other pieces weren’t delivering at their maximum potential.

Over the seven years with the organization, Fox averaged 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 34.5 percent from the field. The production wasn’t going to make him an All-Star and isn’t anything really to write home about. However, it was production and solid play that was vital to the success of a truly great run for the franchise.

Next: No. 27 Bob McAdoo