Los Angeles Lakers: The all-time born in California team

By Jason Reed | May 13, 2020

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 28: Jamaal Wilkes #52 of the Los Angeles Lakers is honoured in a ceremony retiring his #52 during half time of a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on December 28, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

SF: Jim Pollard

There is a chance that some fans of the Los Angeles Lakers reading this article do not know who Jim Pollard is and I cannot necessarily blame them. Pollard played on the Lakers before they moved to Los Angeles but was a key component in the Minneapolis Lakers dynasty that won five championships.

However, that occurred almost 70 years ago and Pollard does not even have his number formally retired by the team despite being in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He definitely does not have the star power of other all-time Laker greats.

Pollard was part of the Lakers for all five of the NBA Championships and was a four-time all-star as well as a four-time All-NBA player in his short seven-year career. His best year came in the 1951-1952 season, where he averaged15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Overall, Pollard averaged 12.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his NBA career. They are not the most impressive numbers, but as the third-best player on a team that won five championships, his efforts cannot be ignored.

Pollard was born and raised in Oakland.

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