Kobe Bryant's 2013-14 injury left the Lakers thin in the backcourt, prompting a February 2014 swap that sent Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks to LA in exchange for Steve Blake. Bazemore delivered 13.1 points in 28 minutes that season before leaving the league in 2014. The piece traces every Lakers jersey wearer through the Minneapolis-to-LA arc, spotlighting Bazemore's brief peak and the depth challenges that defined that era.

The story chronicles the wearers of the Lakers jersey over eight decades, tying midseason moves and injury-riddled campaigns to the evolving guard-wings mix and how those moves influenced fantasy and betting perspectives for players who wore purple and gold.