17 People who turned their backs on the Los Angeles Lakers

11. Antawn Jamison

Jamison’s lone season with the Lakers was a disaster. They signed him to be their sixth man and a crucial scorer off the bench. He played 33.1 minutes and averaged 17.2 points per game in 2012 for the Cavaliers, but never found his footing in Los Angeles.

Jamison saw his production dip to 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in just 21.5 minutes per game. He played 76 contests but suffered through multiple DNP-CDs. The veteran forward received nearly 20 minutes each night in the playoffs, but the Lakers were bounced by the Spurs in the first round.

Jamison skipped his exit interview and immediately had wrist surgery. It was clear he would not return. The 36-year-old was an unrestricted free agent and nothing went right in LA. The Lakers were quick to move on, and Jamison played just 22 more NBA games before calling it a career.

Jamison said the team dealt with “a lot of unnecessary nonsense” during his lone season with the Lakers. It did not work, but the two-time All-Star did not need to call his organization out in the media or skip his exit interview. Antawn Jamison was done with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he should have handled it better.