Los Angeles Lakers: 10 best small forwards in team history

8. Cedric Ceballos (1994-97)

The Los Angeles Lakers were in something of down period in between the unexpected retirement of Magic Johnson and the celebrated arrivals of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Cedric Ceballos was one of the key figures in bridging that gap and keeping L.A. from totally falling off the map.

Ceballas was the Lakers’ top scorer for the 1994-95 and ’95-96 seasons, averaging 21.4 points to go with 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

A slasher and garbage-buckets type of scorer, he made 52.1 percent of his field goals during an era when 3-point shooting wasn’t a requirement for a perimeter scorer.

The highlight of Ceballos’ run in L.A. was when he scored 50 points in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.

At the time, a lot of people still only knew Ceballos as a former Slam Dunk Contest winner whose blindfolded dunk made him famous in 1992. With the Lakers, he was able to showcase his entire game and earn respect as a complete player.

Ceballos was at the center of some controversy in 1996.

After Magic Johnson made his midseason comeback, and his new heavier frame had him playing power forward instead of point guard, Ceballos’ playing time and shot attempts went down a bit as Magic was being worked into the rotation.

Reportedly frustrated, Ceballos went AWOL from the team for a few days and was suspended.

The next season, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns.