44. Horace Grant
Horace Grant spent two seasons of his 17-year NBA career with the Lakers, though they oddly happened to come in non-consecutive years. He suited up alongside Shaq and Kobe for the 2000-01 season on the way to winning the second title in the three-peat and then played his final NBA season with Los Angeles as well in the 2003-04 season. And while he may not have been the player he once was while with the organization, he still played a valuable role.
Merely in terms of statistical output, Grant was nothing special for either team that he was a part of. In 132 games and 87 starts, Grant averaged just 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game over his time in Los Angeles. However, his contributions to his team—particularly in the 2000-01 season—weren’t measureable by a box score.
Looking back, Grant was one of the guiding veteran presences as the Lakers went on to win their second title in the three-peat. Not only was Grant a familiar face for Shaq as they played together in Orlando, but he also had the advantage of three-peating with the Chicago Bulls and was able to offer guidance from that experience. Again, the stats may not indicate it, but Grant was a big part of the Lakers’ success in the early 2000s.
Next: No. 43 Mel Counts