Ranking 24 worst Lakers starters of the Kobe Bryant era

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.