Lakers jersey history No. 1 — Maurice Carter

USA Today

28-07-2025

Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary.
As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years.
We now take a look at Maurice Carter, who had a very brief stint with the Lakers during the 2003-04 season.
It was a season that started out with tons of promise, but ended up being defined by soul-shattering turbulence. The team had signed future Hall of Famers Gary Payton and Karl Malone during the summer of 2003, only to find out that Kobe Bryant had been charged with sexual assault in Colorado. The 2003-04 campaign would be a peculiar rollercoaster of superficial hot streaks sandwiched by frustrating slumps, key injuries and interpersonal drama.
Carter had been a decent player at Louisiana State University, where he spent four seasons. He went undrafted in 1999 and spent the next few years playing in the International Basketball League and the Continental Basketball Association when the Lakers came calling in January 2004.
Bryant had just suffered a mysterious finger injury, and the team's bench was thin to begin with. Carter, a 6-foot-5 guard, would sign two 10-day contracts with Los Angeles and play in four games with it. He would finish with a total of 22 points, three rebounds, two assists and six turnovers in 50 minutes.
Later that season, he would appear in six games with the New Orleans Hornets. That would be it for his NBA career. He did, however, help the Dakota Wizards win that year's CBA championship and was named the Most Valuable Player of the CBA playoffs.