Los Angeles Lakers to Retire Jamaal Wilkes’ Jersey Number


Newly-minted Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes will be honored by the Lakers, as the franchise has plans to make Wilkes the eighth jersey number to go up in the rafters. Reports the LA Times: “We will retire his jersey at some point next season,’ Lakers spokesman John Black said. ‘We’ll look to book a date after the schedule comes out at some point late in the summer.’ Wilkes and his No. 52 jersey will join Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13), Elgin Baylor (22), Gail Goodrich (25), Earvin “Magic” Johnson (32), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33), James Worthy (42) and Jerry West (44). All seven of those players are also members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In Wilkes’ eight-year stint with the Lakers (1977-85), he helped the Lakers win three NBA titles (1980, 1982, 1985). He is 10th in team history in career points (10,601) and ninth in steals (706).”