The Los Angeles Lakers found a way to get Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft, and the rest was history. He slipped to 13th overall, and LA was happy to trade Vlade Divac for the teenager. Jerry West saw greatness in Kobe, and the Black Mamba’s desire, drive, and work ethic made that a reality.
Bryant spent two decades playing for the Lakers where they won five championships. Fans remember Kobe dominating with Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Gasol, but there were plenty of forgotten standout teammates during his run. Bryant is an all-time great and will forever be one of the most iconic Lakers.
The franchise did not always give him the best tools to work with. Kobe has two numbers retired in the Lakers rafters, but there were times when it looked like he was doing things on his own. Let us take a look back at the most regrettable starters over Bryant’s two decades as a Laker with a minimum of 20 starts to exclude players that jumped in for a one-game absence.
Ranking worst Los Angeles Lakers starters of the Kobe Bryant era
24. Luke Walton
Walton was drafted in the second round by the Lakers in 2003 and spent eight and a half seasons with the franchise. He is one of Kobe’s longest-tenured teammates but was only a full-time starter for one year. Walton’s minutes slowly ticked up in his first three seasons before getting a shot to start in the 2006-07 campaign.
It was unquestionably the best year of his career. The 6’8 forward averaged 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 33.0 minutes per game. He shot 47.4 percent from the field and 38.7 percent on his 3-point tries. Walton’s minutes decreased in the playoffs, which was the beginning of the end.
He opened the next season as the starter but lasted just four games before being replaced by Lamar Odom. Walton did make 31 starts in 2008 and 34 in 2009, but his minutes decreased each year. The 6’8 forward was a solid backup but was in over his head as a starter.
The Los Angeles Lakers had way worse starters during the Kobe Bryant era, but Luke Walton was worth mentioning for the one year the franchise tried the experiment.
23. Brian Shaw
Shaw knew Kobe Bryant well, and their stories intertwined several times. It started when the 6’6 guard joined the Lakers in 1999. Bryant was 21 years old and about to make his first All-Star appearance. Shaw was at the other end of his playing career. The 33-year-old had already played a decade in the NBA and his best days were behind him.
The Lakers needed a veteran to help get them over the hump, and Shaw served that role perfectly. He never produced significant stats and was mostly Kobe’s backup, but Los Angeles won three straight champions with B. Shaw on their roster.
The 6’6 guard made 28 starts in the 2000-01 season, which was a mistake. Shaw was a fine backup and key veteran on the team, but he averaged 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 22.9 minutes per game that season on 38.2 percent shooting from the field and 31.0 percent on his threes. Those are not the numbers of a starter, and Shaw’s shooting efficiency was atrocious.
Brian Shaw retired in 2003 after four years with the Los Angeles Lakers but returned as an assistant coach in 2004. He spent seven years on the bench as an assistant and won two more rings with Bryant. Shaw returned to the Lakers as associate head coach from 2016 to 2019, but it did not stop him from being one of the worst starters of the Kobe era.
22. Smush Parker
There may be no teammate that Bryant hated more than Parker. The 6’4 guard went undrafted in 2002 after one year at Fordham. He was a backup point guard for the Cavaliers during his rookie season before going overseas. Parker returned for just 16 games in the 2004-05 season, but that was enough to earn him a deal with the Lakers in the offseason.
Despite never playing more than 17 minutes per game in the NBA, the Lakers made him their starter in the backcourt next to Bryant. He stuck for two years where he averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 31.9 minutes per game. The Lakers made the playoffs twice but were bounced in the first round both times.
Kobe and Parker did not get along, and Bryant called him “the worst” years after Parker left the Lakers. He had this to say about nearing being named Most Valuable Player in 2006.
"“I almost won an MVP with Smush Parker and Kwame Brown on my team. I was shooting 45 times a game. What was I supposed to do? Pass it to Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown.”"
Smush Parker signed with the Heat in 2007, but only played one more year in the NBA. He finished his career with a decade overseas. Parker was never more than a reserve, except for his two years in LA. He produced well enough, but Kobe’s hatred earned him a spot among the worst starters of this era.
21. Wesley Johnson
Johnson was the fourth overall pick in 2010 after an outstanding junior season at Syracuse. The 6’7 wing immediately jumped into the Timberwolves starting lineup. It lasted just two years before Johnson was traded to the Suns. His minutes slid further, and Johnson got a fresh start by signing with the Lakers in 2013.
The 6’7 wing’s two seasons with the Lakers were Bryant’s injury-plagued years. Kobe played just 41 games and the Lakers only won 48. It was not pretty, but Johnson played well in the first season. He averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 block in 28.4 minutes per game. His playing time increased in year two, but his production dipped.
Johnson stayed in LA as he signed with the Clippers in the 2015 offseason. The 6’7 made 121 starts over his two seasons with the Lakers and started just 65 games over his final four NBA seasons after leaving the franchise. He was not a starter. Johnson held his own defensively but offered little on the other end of the floor.
Kobe Bryant made just 39 starts next to Wesley Johnson, but that was enough to earn the 6’7 wing a place on this list. Johnson’s defense was not enough to make up for the Los Angeles Lakers’ lack of talent and wins in his two seasons with the franchise.
20. Vladimir Radmanovic
Radmanovic had played seven seasons in the NBA before arriving in Los Angeles. The 2001 lottery pick was a role player on two Sonics playoff teams and spent 30 games with the Clippers before signing with the Lakers in free agency. It was a wild pursuit. Radmanovic turned down a larger extension from the Sonics in 2005 and decided against re-signing with the Clippers to join the Lakers.
The 6’10 forward should have been entering his prime, and the Lakers were excited to have him. He was supposed to be a starter and key rotation piece, but Radmanovic struggled. He averaged just 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game before being injured in a snowboarding accident. It cost him the remainder of the season and $500,000 after he lied to Lakers brass about how he sustained the injury.
Radmanovic played better in 2008, including starting throughout the playoffs. The 6’10 forward averaged 8.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game as the Lakers reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Celtics.
The Los Angeles Lakers dumped the remainder of Vladimir Radmanovic’s contract on the Bobcats in February 2009 in return for Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison. His six-year $30 million deal turned into a massive disappointment and firmly earned him a spot on this list.
19. Samaki Walker
Walker was a top-ten pick in 1996 who spent five years as a backup big man before arriving in Los Angeles. He played three seasons in Dallas before two years with the Spurs. Walker averaged over 16 minutes per game just once and made ten starts over the last three years combined.
The Lakers signed him as a free agent in 2001, and he immediately jumped into the starting five over Robert Horry. Walker averaged 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.0 minutes per game. The 6’9 big man started 63 of his 69 games played, but his minutes dropped in the playoffs. Horry took the starting gig and Walker averaged just 12.6 minutes each night as the Lakers won the championship.
His playing time and production declined in year two, and the 27-year-old was virtually out of the rotation by the postseason. Samaki Walker left Los Angeles for Miami in free agency in 2003. The 6’9 big man never played more than 13 minutes per game over his final three seasons before heading overseas in 2006.
It is fair to say Bryant and Walker did not get along, and the Hall of Famer even punched the 6’9 big man over a $100 bet during their time in Los Angeles. Samaki Walker made 143 starts in his career and 102 of them came with the Lakers. He simply should not have been in that position, but winning the championship heels all wounds.
18. Chris Mihm
Mihm was the seventh overall pick in 2000 and ended up in Cleveland after a draft night trade. The seven-footer instantly cracked the rotation, but his stats did not jump off the screen over his first five seasons. Mihm was traded twice in nine months before joining the Lakers in August of 2004.
He had his two best years in Los Angeles. The seven-footer averaged 9.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game over 75 starts in 2004-05. Mihm was the starter the following season where he produced a career-high in minutes, points, and assists per game.
That would be Mihm’s best seasons. He suffered a severe ankle injury in March of 2006 and the subsequent surgery forced him to miss the entire 2006-07 campaign. The seven-footer was never the same. He played just 41 games over his final two seasons with the Lakers before retiring in 2009 at 29 years old.
Kobe Bryant did not look back fondly on Mihm’s two best seasons. The Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs in 2005 and were bounced in the first round in 2006. Kobe took a shot at Mihm in an epic rant about nearly winning the 2006 MVP award.
17. Wayne Ellington
Ellington had one of the best years of his career with the Lakers, but it was not enough to keep him off this list. The 6’4 guard was a first-round pick in 2009, who arrived in Los Angeles for his fifth season. The Lakers were coming off a 27-win year and not expected to make the playoffs. Ellington had made 34 starts in his first four seasons and gave the franchise some insurance if the 36-year-old Bryant struggled to stay healthy.
Kobe only played 35 games, which opened the door for Ellington to start. He averaged 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. The 6’4 guard shot just 41.2 percent from the field and the Lakers ended up with 21 wins.
Ellington did not want to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, but he signed with the Nets in the 2015 offseason. He was mostly a starter, but his production dropped off. The 6’4 guard was a solid role player over the next six years before returning to the Lakers in 2021 for his final NBA season.
There is a reason the Lakers did not bring Wayne Ellington back. He was a plus shooter but struggled on the defensive end and offered little else.
16. Kwame Brown
Brown was the number one overall pick by the Washington Wizards in 2001. The 6’11 big man was projected to be a star and drew comparisons to Karl Malone and Chris Webber. He never reached that ceiling for a plethora of reasons.
Brown’s best season came in his third year as he averaged 10.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 30.3 minutes per game for the Wizards.
Brown was traded to the Lakers in 2005 for Caron Butler. Los Angeles hoped the 22-year-old could take the next step playing with Kobe Bryant, but it never happened. Brown was the opening night starter, but averaged 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game. The 6’11 big man started all seven playoff games as the Lakers were bounced in the first round.
Kwame Brown spent two and a half seasons in Los Angeles before being traded for Pau Gasol in 2008. The deal led to an epic Steven A. Smith rant burying Brown and his lack of production. Bryant had more than a few things to say about the big man, including calling him “challenged” offensively.
Kwame Brown’s defense was serviceable as he helped the Los Angeles Lakers make two playoff appearances. He was forgettable and never should have started next to Kobe Bryant, but he is far from the worst Laker of this era.
15. Jordan Hill
Hill was the eighth overall pick in 2009 by the Knicks, but he lasted just eight months in New York before being traded to the Rockets in the T-Mac deal.
The 6’10 big man was the backup in Houston for two years before coming to the Lakers in a trade. LA dumped Derek Fisher and a first-round pick to acquire Hill, but he barely played until the playoffs. Hill was the backup center in the postseason and averaged 18.1 minutes per game.
He struggled to get playing time the following year before being a key part of their rotation over the next two seasons. Hill started 32 games in the 2013-14 campaign but had the best year of his career in 2014-15. The 6’10 big man averaged 12.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game. The Lakers won just 21 games as Kobe Bryant was limited to 35 contests, but it earned Hill a $4 million deal from the Pacers in free agency the following summer.
Jordan Hill spent parts of four seasons with the Lakers where he averaged 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 22.0 minutes per game. The 6’10 big man made 91 starts with the Lakers, but just 29 elsewhere. He was a backup big man that was overplayed in LA.
14. Devean George
George was the Lakers’ first-round pick in 1999 and won three championships in his first three years in the NBA. The 6’9 forward was not part of the rotation in the first two, but he was a bench piece in year three. George averaged 5.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game during the playoffs.
He was a bench player for his entire career, except in the 2003-04 season. The Lakers knew what they had. George had been on the team for four years, but he got 48 starts and stuck through the playoffs.
It was arguably the best year of his career. The 6’9 forward averaged 7.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 23.8 minutes per game and still got 21.4 each night in the playoffs as the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals.
Devean George was plagued by poor shot selection throughout his NBA career. In his seven seasons with the Lakers, he made 39.2 percent of his field goals and just 34.0 percent from 3-point range. The 6’9 forward played for the Mavericks and Warriors after leaving LA. His size and defense allowed him to stay in the NBA for 11 years, but his production left plenty to be desired.
13. Roy Hibbert
Hibbert was a two-time All-Star in Indiana, but the NBA’s shift from traditional centers caught up to him quickly. The 7’2 big man was a lumbering back-to-the-basket player. He was one of the league’s best shot blockers and helped Indiana reach the playoffs for four straight years, but he struggled guarding or operating outside the paint.
Hibbert was 28 years old when the Pacers traded him to the Lakers for a second-round pick in 2015. He was owed $15.5 million in the coming season and it was clear that he would not return that value. It was Kobe’s farewell campaign, and the Lakers did not plan on contending.
Hibbert was the team’s starter all season, but his playing time and production dropped off drastically. He averaged 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 23.2 minutes per game. The Lakers won just 17 contests, and Hibbert quickly departed in free agency. His inability to guard on the perimeter made him virtually unplayable.
He played just 48 more NBA games and was traded twice before retiring in 2018. The two-time All-Star was passed his prime in Los Angeles and it was his final season as a starter. The 7’2 big man is a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he struggled playing next to Kobe Bryant in the Black Mamba’s final campaign.
12. Earl Clark
Kobe Bryant was still at the peak of his powers in 2013 and trying to will the Lakers to another championship. The 34-year-old was playing every minute and averaging over 27 points per game to ensure they reached playoffs. Bryant tore his Achilles on April 12, 2013, to end a historic run from the 34-year-old.
He wouldn’t have had to carry such a heavy burden if the Lakers had a better team around him. Count Clark in that group. The 25-year-old had barely played in his first three years in the league and was on his third franchise in four seasons.
None of that stopped the Lakers and Mike D’Antoni from giving him significant minutes. Clark jumped into the rotation in January and never left. Over the final 49 games, he averaged 8.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 27.1 minutes per contest. The 6’10 forward was even part of their playoff rotation.
It earned him a $4.2 million deal in free agency from the Cleveland Cavaliers where Clark again barely played. He ended up on three teams over the next two seasons before playing his final NBA game in 2015. Earl Clark was just 27 years old, and his lone year with the Los Angeles Lakers was the best of his career. Sadly, he was still one of the worst starters next to Kobe Bryant.
11. Jumaine Jones
Jones was a first-round pick in 1999 that ended up in Philadelphia. The 76ers made a run to the NBA Finals in his second season where they lost to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Jones played 19.4 minutes per game in the playoffs that year as he averaged 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds. It was arguably the best stretch of his career.
The 6’8 wing was traded to Cleveland in 2001 where he spent two years before being dealt to Boston. After one season in Beantown, the Celtics shipped him to the Lakers as part of a five-player deal.
Jones had made just 50 starts over his first five years before arriving in LA, but he made 23 in 2004-05. The 6’8 wing averaged 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game as the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Not all the blame falls on Jones, but he did not help.
The Los Angeles Lakers dumped him on the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2005 offseason. The 6’8 wing spent two more years in the NBA before a long career overseas. He should not have been starting for the Lakers and his one season with the team was an indication of how the team viewed his performance.
10. Brian Cook
Cook was the 24th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Lakers. The Kobe and Shaq days were winding down, and the 6’9 big man had an intriguing skill set. He was a shooter and floor spacer, but could he round out his game?
Cook rarely played as a rookie appearing in just 35 games and playing a total of 442 minutes. The Lakers lost to the Pistons in the NBA Finals and Shaq was traded to the Heat. Cook played a bit more in year two before having his best season in year three.
The 6’9 big man averaged 7.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 19.0 minutes as he started 46 of his 81 games played. Cook shot 51.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. His playing time decreased in the postseason to 11.1 minutes per game and the Lakers were bounced by the Suns in the first round.
Things went downhill from there. Brian Cook played less and shot worse in his fourth NBA season and played in just six contests in 2007 before being traded in a package for Trevor Ariza. The 6’9 big man stayed four more years in the NBA, but never averaged more than 13 minutes per game. He was not a starter, despite making 74 next to Kobe Bryant in LA.
9. Lindsey Hunter
Hunter was over 30 years old and had played eight seasons in the NBA before arriving in Los Angeles. He was the tenth overall selection in the 1993 draft and quickly became the Pistons starting point guard. Hunter had reached the postseason in five of his first eight years, but he was starting to decline. The Lakers gave up reserve big man Greg Foster for the 6’2 guard in 2001.
Hunter lasted just one year in Los Angeles. He had not played fewer than 22 minutes per game at that point but averaged just 19.7 a night with the Lakers.
His production dropped off mightily too. Hunter averaged 5.8 points and 1.6 assists while shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from the foul line. Los Angeles won the championship, but the 6’2 guard played just 7.3 minutes each night and was mostly an afterthought in the postseason rotation.
Lindsey Hunter was traded to the Raptors in 2002 as part of a four-player deal and played eight more years after leaving the Lakers. The 6’2 guard was primarily known for his defensive intensity and even guarded Kobe Bryant as the Pistons upset the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. It was Hunter’s second and final championship.
Lindsey Hunter struggled mightily with the Los Angeles Lakers, but there are no regrets. Kobe and company walked away with a championship, and the franchise quickly moved on.
8. Kendall Marshall
The Suns drafted Marshall with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and believed in the 6’4 point guard’s potential. He was an elite playmaker during his two seasons at UNC but was the third-string point guard in Phoenix behind Goran Dragic and Sebastian Telfair. The rookie played 48 games, but was inconsistent and struggled to hit his shots.
The Suns traded him to Washington in the 2013 offseason. Shannon Brown, Marcin Gortat, and Malcolm Lee were joining him as Emeka Okafor and a 2014 first-round pick headed back to Phoenix. The Wizards waived Marshall three days later, and he missed the early part of the 2013-14 season before signing with the Lakers in December.
Los Angeles was decimated by injuries. Kobe Bryant only played six games and would not return to the floor. Steve Nash and Steve Blake were both injured. The Lakers needed someone to play minutes in the backcourt. Marshall signed and immediately played well, but the production quickly declined. His numbers look strong over the full 54 games, but the Lakers waived him in the 2014 offseason.
Kendall Marshall played two more years in the NBA, but never more than 30 games or 13.3 minutes. He was just not an NBA point guard, despite making 45 starts for the Los Angeles Lakers.
7. Tarik Black
Black went undrafted in 2014 after playing four years of college basketball. The 6’9 big man was signed by the Rockets, but waived four months later. The Lakers were looking for any help they could get and claimed him off waivers.
Black started 27 of his 38 games played with Los Angeles that season. Kobe Bryant was limited to 35 contests, and the Lakers won just 21 times. It was an ugly year, but Black showed flashes. He averaged 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game.
The 6’9 big man played two more years in Los Angeles but never matched those numbers. He only appeared in 39 games during Kobe’s farewell season and averaged just 12.7 minutes each night. The following year, he made 16 more starts, but there was little to get excited about.
The Los Angeles Lakers waived Tarik Black in the summer of 2017. He signed with the Rockets where he played one final season. Black was 26 years old in 2018 when he played his last NBA game. He is still playing in Europe, including helping Olympiacos win the Greek League championship in 2023. The 6’9 big man produced a few thunderous dunks, but little else during his time next to Kobe Bryant in LA.
6. Robert Sacre
Sacre was the final pick in the 2012 NBA Draft after five years at Gonzaga. The seven-footer played with Kobe Bryant over the Black Mamba’s final four years with the Lakers. He was known as a hard worker and became a fan favorite for his ability to hype up the bench and the players on the floor.
Sacre’s stats left plenty to be desired. He barely played as a rookie but made three starts. He earned just four minutes in the playoffs as the Lakers were bounced in the first round. Remember, Kobe tore his Achilles in 2013 trying to ensure the Lakers made the postseason, so he did not play in that series.
The Black Mamba was limited to six games the following season, but Sacre averaged 5.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks, which were all career-highs. The seven-footer brought energy, but little else. He played four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and averaged just 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
The franchise went in a different direction after Bryant’s retirement. Robert Sacre played two more years in Japan, but his NBA days were over. He made 35 starts with the Lakers, but the seven-footer was undoubtedly one of the worst starters of the Kobe era.
5. Stanislav Medvedenko
Medvedenko signed with the Lakers in 2000 just months after Kobe and Shaq’s first championship. Slava went undrafted in 1998, and the 21-year-old played three years of professional basketball in Europe before coming to the NBA.
Medvedenko was a 6’10 big man who never met a shot he would not take. His shoot-first mentality drew ire from Laker Nation and limited his playing time.
He played in just seven games in his first season and not a second in the playoffs as the Lakers made it back-to-back titles. In year two, Medvedenko saw minutes in 71 games but was axed from the playoff rotation in their third straight championship season.
Slava Medvedenko spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers where he averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. The 6’10 forward inexplicably made 58 starts, including 38 in 2004 when he had his best NBA season. Even then, he averaged 8.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game and played just 11.3 minutes each night in the playoffs as the Lakers reached the NBA Finals.
Medvedenko played just 14 games after leaving the Lakers and was done playing professional basketball in 2007 at just 27 years old. The 6’10 big man struggled with the Lakers, and he one was of the worst starters next to Kobe Bryant.
4. Corie Blount
Blount was a first-round pick in 1993 by the Chicago Bulls who arrived in LA in 1995 when his rights were sold to the Lakers. The 6’9 big man was a reserve playing 11 minutes per game in his first two seasons.
The 27-year-old played a similar role in his year with the Lakers before getting more minutes in the 1996-97 season. Los Angeles had just drafted Kobe Bryant and signed Shaquille O’Neal. They were ready to contend, but the Diesel played just 51 games in his first season with the Lake Show.
It opened the door for Blount to start, but he was unimpressive. He averaged just 4.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game.
Corie Blount played another season and a half with the Lakers before being waived in 1999. He made 26 starts in LA but averaged just 3.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. The 6’9 big man played five more years in the NBA as a reserve and produced similar numbers throughout his career.
The Los Angeles Lakers held onto Blount for too long, and he had zero business starting. He was completely out of the rotation in two of his three postseason runs with the franchise, which further shows the Lakers did not trust him when it mattered most.
3. Mark Madsen
Mad Dog was drafted by the Lakers in 2000 just after they won their first championship with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The 6’9 big man played four years at Stanford and was 24 years old when he was selected. His ceiling was limited, but the franchise believed he could quickly jump into the rotation and make an impact.
Madsen played in 70 games as a rookie but averaged just 9.2 minutes per contest. The 6’9 big man got run in 13 of their 16 playoff games. This time, he saw just 3.7 minutes each night, but the Lakers won their second championship.
Mad Dog played a bit more in year two and even made five starts, but the production was nothing to write home about. He was axed from the playoff rotation as the Lakers finished their three-peat.
Mark Madsen increased his playing time again in year three. It would be his best as a Laker as the 6’9 big man averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. He made 22 starts in his 54 games played. He stuck in the playoff rotation but left the Lakers in free agency in 2003.
Mad Dog played six years with the Minnesota Timberwolves to close his NBA career, but never got more than 17.3 minutes per game. The current University of California head coach had no business starting, but the Los Angeles Lakers gave him 30 over three years.
2. Ryan Kelly
The Lakers used a second-round pick on Kelly in 2013 after the 6’11 forward spent four years at Duke. The stretch four had a unique skill set that LA was hoping to translate to the NBA. It did not take long for him to crack the rotation. The Lakers were decimated by injuries in the 2013-14 season, which opened up minutes for Kelly.
The 6’11 forward played in 59 games and made 22 starts as he averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 22.2 minutes per game. It was unquestionably the best season of his NBA career, despite the Lakers winning just 27 games. Kelly played more the following year but shot 33.7 percent from the field as his stats declined across the board.
His minutes dropped in year three before departing in free agency in the 2016 offseason. Kelly put up 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game over his three seasons with the Lakers. He inexplicably made 59 starts.
Kelly played just 16 more NBA games before heading overseas. The 32-year-old could still return to the league, but his best days are behind him. Ryan Kelly struggled in the NBA and will forever be one of the worst starters of the Kobe Bryant era.
1. Travis Knight
Kobe did not always get along with his centers, and it started back in his rookie days. Travis Knight was the 29th overall pick in 1996 by the Bulls, but the two sides parted ways before ever playing a game. Knight wound up on the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant remembered Shaq going after the rookie.
"I remember the first practice. We had Travis Knight on the team, and you proceeded to annihilate this kid. Just from everything. From talking trash to him, he was afraid to get on the bus. One thing I noticed about you from the jump was that you didn’t respect people you could bully."
Knight immediately cracked the rotation and made 14 starts. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 16.3 minutes per game. The seven-footer mostly backed up O’Neal before being traded to the Celtics in 1997, but he was dealt back to Los Angels18 months later.
He started 23 games during the 1998-99 season as the seven-footer averaged 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game. Travis Knight was part of the Lakers championship run in 2000, but he rarely saw the floor. He averaged 6.5 minutes per game during the regular season and just 3.4 over 14 contests in the playoffs.
Knight was traded to the New York Knicks in September of 2000. He would play three more years in the NBA before retiring in 2003 at 28 years old. Knight averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.3 minutes for his career, so his 37 starters next to Kobe Bryant earned him a spot on this list.
The Los Angeles Lakers had several regrettable starters during Kobe Bryant’s 20 years with the franchise, but it did not stop them from winning five titles. Credit to the Black Mamba for making the franchise competitive no matter who was on the floor.