Lakers: 50 Greatest Players in Franchise History
By Eric Yee
47. Elmore Smith
Elmore Smith played only two seasons for the franchise and came around to the team at a time when the team was undoubtedly in a bit of a transition period in the mid 1970s. That being the case, it’s impossible to deny the fact that the big seven-footer made a sizable impact on those teams he was a part of, even if his stint was incredibly brief.
Essentially tasked with being the big body that would replace Wilt Chamberlain on the Lakers roster, Smith came in and was dominant on both ends of the floor for his time in Los Angeles. Over his two seasons and 155 games played with the organization, Smith averaged an unreal 11.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.9 blocks. 1.9 assists, and one steal per game. Just for good measure, he also converted on a solid 47.2 percent of his shot attempts.
Had Smith stuck around longer, there’s at least a chance that he would find himself much higher in these rankings than No. 47. As he only spent two years wearing the purple and gold in a period where the team wasn’t all that successful (they made the postseason in just one of Smith’s two seasons), it’s hard to put him any higher than this.
Next: No. 46 Ariza