Forgotten Lakers

Travis Wear played for the Lakers late in the 2017-2018 season, after spending time with the Knicks, D-League, and overseas. A Southern California native, Travis grew up a lifelong Lakers fan and played at UCLA alongside with his twin brother, David. After several successful years in the G-League, Travis retired in 2020 to focus on a new career in commercial real estate.

Former Los Angeles Laker Jelani McCoy came on the podcast to talk about his year as a Laker, the 2001-2002 season that ended with the LA's third-straight title. A Southern California native, Jelani grew up a diehard Laker fan, played at UCLA and passed up more money for the opportunity to play for the purple and gold.

Author Jeff Pearlman came on to discuss his new book, "Three Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty"

Former Los Angeles Laker Lindsey Hunter came on the podcast to talk about his career. After winning a championship with the Lakers in 2002, he found himself back with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 when they upset the heavily-favored Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. It was interesting to hear his perspectives from both seasons. Thanks for listening!

Former Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play broadcaster Spero Dedes returns to Forgotten Lakers to talk about Kobe Bryant's passing and his legacy in Los Angeles. Brandon Rosenthal, host of After Hours Sports, also joined us.

Former Los Angeles Laker Joe Kleine came on "Forgotten Lakers" to discuss some of the stops during his 15-year career. A former Razorback and Olympic gold-medalist, Joe was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Lakers in 1997 where he appeared in eight games before being shipped off to New Jersey. From there, Joe went on to win a championship with the Bulls in 1998 before retiring two seasons later after the 1999-2000 season.

Andrew Van Buuren, author of "Between Dynasties: The Los Angeles Lakers in the years between Magic and Kobe" came on to discuss his Laker fandom, why he chose that particular window in Laker history to chronicle, and how he perceives that era differently now than he did 25 years ago. We also played a fun Laker trivia game at the end.

Former Los Angeles Laker Mark Madsen came on the podcast to discuss his nine year NBA career, most notably his first three seasons as a Laker. A Stanford grad, Mark was the final pick of the first round in the 2000 NBA draft, and helped the Lakers win two titles in 2001 and 2002. After serving as an assistant coach for the Lakers for several years, Mark is now the head coach at Utah Valley University.

Jim Cotta, the Lakers Strength and Conditioning coach from 1997-1998 through 2003-2004, came on the podcast to talk about his seven year stretch working behind the scenes with some of the most memorable Laker teams in history. He talked about the 1998 Lakers which featured four all-stars, Dennis Rodman's short lived Laker tenure in 1999, Shaq's dominance in 2000, and much more.

Former Los Angeles Laker Travis Knight came on the podcast to discuss his career, one that included two separate stints in the purple and gold. Originally a rookie in the 1996 class that also featured Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, Travis spent his rookie year in LA only to sign with Boston as a free agent in 1997. One year in to his deal with the Celtics, they traded him back to Los Angeles--a move that he very much welcomed. His time in LA ended in 2000 and with a championship ring to show for it.

Former Los Angeles Laker Tarik Black came on the podcast to discuss his basketball career, one that took him from riding the bench in high school to the bright lights of the NBA. Currently playing in Israel, Tarik took the time to call in while I was driving to work several weeks ago, so I apologize for the poor audio quality in some parts. Check out his foundation here: http://tarikblackfoundation.org/

Originally a throw-in the in the trade that sent Gary Payton to the Celtics in 2004, Jumaine forced himself into the rotation and became a key player for the Lakers in the 2004-2005 season. In this episode, Jumaine talks about his humble basketball beginnings, playing the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals as a member of the 76ers, what went wrong down the stretch in 2005 for LA, and finishing his career overseas.

Former Los Angeles Laker Maurice Carter came on the podcast to discuss his career, one that saw him play with the Lakers for four games in the 2003-2004 season. Undrafted out of LSU, Mo traveled the world in pursuit of his basketball dreams and ultimately caught on with both the Lakers and the (then) New Orleans Hornets.

Former Los Angeles Laker Jeff Lamp came on to discuss some of the bits and pieces of his basketball career, one that saw him win a ring with 1988 Lakers. Hear about Jeff's time in LA, his career overseas, and what he's doing now for the NBA Players Association to help players maximize the benefits of their time in the league.

Former Los Angeles Laker Shammond Williams came on the podcast to discuss his collegiate and professional career. A UNC Tarheel legend, Shammond spent time the Hawks, Sonics, Celtics, Nuggets, Magic, and the Hornets before taking a two-year detour overseas to rediscover his love for the game. After two years abroad, Shammond came back to the NBA for one year with the Lakers, 2006-2007, before finishing his career in Europe.

Former Los Angeles Laker George Lynch came on the podcast to discuss career, a 12-year journey that began with three seasons wearing the purple and gold.

Former Los Angeles Laker Samaki Walker came on the podcast to discuss his two years in LA. After coming to the Lakers via free-agency before the 2001-2002 season, Samaki entrenched himself as a starter, using his size and strength to play alongside Shaquille O'Neal and helped the team to their third-straight title.

Former Los Angeles Laker Smush Parker (2005-2007) came on to discuss some parts of his lengthy basketball career, one that took him from NYC playgrounds to Fordham University and eventually to the NBA. Aside from his two years with the Lakers, Smush spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons (he was on the floor during the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl in 2004), Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, and LA Clippers in addition to an accomplished career overseas. Check out his page http://smushparkerelite.com/

Spero Dedes was the Lakers radio play-by-play guy for six seasons (2006-2011) . He came on the podcast to discuss some of the early stops in his broadcasting career, how he got the Lakers job at just 26 years old, and more.

Former Los Angeles Laker Chucky Atkins came on to discuss his basketball career, one that took him to Croatia after being undrafted in the 1996 NBA draft before catching on in the league as a dependable point guard and deadly three point shooter for 11 seasons. Chucky played and started in all 82 games for the Lakers in 2004-2005, his only season in LA.

Maurice Evans played for the Lakers in the 2006-2007 season, and was traded early on the next season in the deal that brought Trevor Ariza to Los Angeles. I've received several requests from fans of the podcast to get Mo on, and I'm excited it was finally able to happen. Thanks for listening!

Former Cincinnati Bearcat Melvin Levett had a training camp run with the Lakers before the 1999-2000 season, the first year of the Phil Jackson era. Though he was cut before the season began, Melvin came on to discuss his career with basketball, one that saw him become a legendary figure in Bearcat lore before his (brief) stint in LA.

Former Los Angeles Laker Jamal Sampson came on the podcast to discuss his one season in LA, which just so happened to be one of the most compelling seasons in team history: 2003-2004.

Andy Bernstein, the Lakers official photographer, came on to discuss his career chronicling one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.

Former Los Angeles Laker Brian Grant came on to discuss some of the stops in his NBA career and his current work with the Brian Grant Foundation. Brian was diagnosed with Parkinson's several years ago and has committed his time and resources to helping others in the Parkinsons community. Check out his web site and make a donation if you can: https://briangrant.org/

Former Los Angeles Laker Trey Johnson came on the "Forgotten Lakers" podcast to discuss his nba career and time in LA. This episode was recorded in person at Trey's barbershop in Carrollton, Texas, "Premier 24". Check it out here: http://premier24.business.site/

Former Laker Von Wafer (2005-2006) came on to discuss his basketball journey. From competing against LeBron James in a high school dunk contest, playing with the Lakers as a rookie, and later playing against LA in the playoffs as member of the Rockets, Von has had a unique career that's taken him all over the world.

Former Laker Tony Bobbitt came on to discuss his season in LA, playing in high school with Vince Carter, and more.

Former Laker Devin Green came on to discuss his time with the purple and gold in the 2005-2006 season, one of the more entertaining seasons in franchise history. After getting to play under Phil Jackson and alongside Kobe Bryant at perhaps the peak of his physical powers, Devin has gone on to a lengthy career overseas--most recently playing in 2017 in Argentina.

Former Laker Brian Cook came on to discuss his career and time in LA. A sharpshooter with a lightning quick release, Brian was a Laker for over four seasons, from 2003-2004 until early in the 2007-2008 season when he was dealt to Orlando in the trade that brought Trevor Ariza to Los Angeles. He can now be found playing in the Big 3. Check out https://big3.com/ for more details.

Former Los Angeles Laker Swen Nater came on the podcast to discuss his career, one that didn't start until he first started playing in junior college. He went on to play at UCLA, backing up Bill Walton for some of the greatest college teams of all time. A first round draft pick of the Bucks, Swen spent time in the ABA and NBA with several teams, including the 1983-1984 season with the Lakers. Swen is a motivational speaker and his info can be found at www.swennater.me

Former Laker Tony Smith came on to discuss his time in LA, which coincided with the Lakers' 1991 NBA Finals run and Magic Johnson's premature retirement, and more.

Tierre Brown, a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004-2005 season, came on to discuss his basketball career and his year as a Laker. Tierre's story about entering the league after being discovered in a pick-up game was really inspiring, as he went from being undrafted to being MVP of the D-League and then spending time with four different teams in the NBA.

John Celestand, a member of the 1999-2000 championship team, came on to discuss his season as a member of the Lakers, the only year he spent in the NBA. After playing in Europe for several years, John retired from basketball at the age of 28 to transition to "the real world," and get a jump start on a new career.

Another member of the 2001-2002 Lakers training camp roster, Peter Cornell, came on to discuss his basketball career. A former Loyola Marymount standout, Peter played on over 30 teams in the NBA, minor leagues, and overseas over 12 seasons during his incredibly unique career. We talked about his time at Loyola, his first professional basketball paycheck which paid him $189 while playing for the Magic City SnowBears in the IBA, his time in camp with the Lakers, his friendship with Shaq and much more.

Though he never played in a regular season game for the Los Angeles Lakers, former NBA player and current author Paul Shirley was a member of the Lakers' 2001 training camp roster. He went on to play with the Hawks, Bulls, Suns, as well as several teams overseas. In this episode, Paul discusses his college career at Iowa State, his training camp run with the Lakers, and some of the nuances of his unique basketball career. Check out his new book, "Stories I Tell on Dates," here: https://www.storiesitellondates.com

Former Laker Devean George (1999-2006) came on to discuss his career. Devean is still the only player ever to be drafted in the first round from an NCAA Division III school (Augsburg), and went to on to play a vital role for the Lakers during their championship run.

Joe Smith, the first overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, came on to discuss his NBA career. He played for the Lakers in the 2010-2011 season, the final stop in a 16-year career that saw him play with 12 different teams: Warriors, Sixers, Timberwolves, Pistons, Bucks, Nuggets, Bulls, Cavs, Thunder, Hawks, Nets, and the Lakers.

In this short episode, former Laker Duane Cooper (1992-1993) came on to discuss his career at USC and his time with the Lakers and the Suns.

Former Laker Chucky Brown (1991-1992) came on to discuss various stops in his NBA career. He shared his memories of his first NBA game where Michael Jordan dropped 54 against his Cleveland team, joining the Lakers and being a teammate of his childhood idol James Worthy, winning the title in 1995 with Houston, and the infamous 2002 Western Conference finals series between the Lakers and his Sacramento Kings team.

Former Los Angeles Laker and current New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Mike Penberthy came on to discuss his journey towards making the Lakers roster in 2000-2001, what it was like playing at perhaps the height of the Kobe/Shaq drama, and more. Check out Mike Penberthy Highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRjByZTPLB8

Josh Powell, a member of both the 2009 and 2010 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, took a break from his season in South Korea to discuss his NBA career, including his stints with the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and the Lakers. Special thanks to both Josh and his management team for finding a time for us to talk despite the time difference and his busy schedule. P.S. I kept the part about where he talks to someone from his team about getting the flu shot in, just because it was kinda funny Check out this dunk from Josh in his Lakers days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOCyhZMorc

Former Laker Joe Crispin came on to discuss his college career at Penn State, his time in the NBA with the Lakers and the Suns, and his lengthy tenure overseas. He included some great stories about Shaq, playing against Michael Jordan, and his experiences playing in Europe. Here are some highlights of Joe's time with the Phoenix Suns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9kyBYFDcu0

Forgotten Lakers and guest Tracy Murray discuss a number of topics from his basketball career, including: his college recruitment, winning the title with the Rockets in 1995, playing with the expansion Toronto Raptors, his 50-point game as a member of the Wizards, and the 2002-2003 season he spent with the Lakers. Sorry about the audio quality on this one! There's some sporadic "ringing" in parts of the recording.

The first episode of "Forgotten Lakers" features Fred Roberts, a 13-year NBA veteran who played with the Spurs, Jazz, Celtics, Bucks, Cavs, Lakers, and Mavericks in addition to playing overseas. Fred and I discussed a number of topics, including: His memories of George Gervin in San Antonio, playing in the 1987 NBA Finals with the Celtics vs. the Lakers, how he ended up with the Lakers in the 1995-1996 season, Magic Johnson's comeback that year, and his current career as a teacher. Check out some of Fred's laker highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcvEyy_--eQ