Last Updated on June 19, 2025 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Los Angeles Lakers > Roster & Statistics
Here’s the 1997–98 Los Angeles Lakers roster and player statistics:
Los Angeles Lakers 1997–98 Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Age | College/From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Kobe Bryant | G | 6-6 | 200 | 19 | Lower Merion HS (PA) |
| 9 | Nick Van Exel | G | 6-1 | 170 | 26 | Cincinnati |
| 10 | Derek Fisher | G | 6-1 | 200 | 23 | Arkansas–Little Rock |
| 17 | Rick Fox | F | 6-7 | 230 | 28 | North Carolina |
| 20 | Eddie Jones | G/F | 6-6 | 200 | 26 | Temple |
| 25 | Shaquille O’Neal | C | 7-1 | 325 | 25 | LSU |
| 30 | Corie Blount | F/C | 6-10 | 240 | 28 | Cincinnati |
| 34 | Robert Horry | F | 6-10 | 240 | 27 | Alabama |
| 40 | Travis Knight | C | 7-0 | 235 | 24 | Connecticut |
| 44 | Jon Barry | G | 6-5 | 210 | 28 | Georgia Tech |
| 50 | Sean Rooks | C | 6-10 | 250 | 28 | Arizona |
| 52 | J.R. Reid | F/C | 6-9 | 253 | 30 | North Carolina |
| 54 | Jerome Kersey | F | 6-7 | 215 | 35 | Longwood |
Player Statistics (Regular Season – 1997–98)
| Player | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaquille O’Neal | 60 | 36.0 | 28.3 | 11.4 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 2.4 | .584 | .527 |
| Eddie Jones | 80 | 38.2 | 16.9 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.9 | .439 | .809 |
| Nick Van Exel | 64 | 35.7 | 13.8 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | .411 | .717 |
| Kobe Bryant | 79 | 26.0 | 15.4 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | .428 | .791 |
| Robert Horry | 75 | 28.9 | 7.4 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | .392 | .726 |
| Rick Fox | 76 | 21.4 | 5.8 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | .432 | .764 |
| Travis Knight | 71 | 16.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.0 | .515 | .735 |
| Derek Fisher | 80 | 21.3 | 6.3 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.1 | .425 | .763 |
| Jon Barry | 52 | 11.2 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | .448 | .844 |
| Corie Blount | 63 | 14.2 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | .486 | .620 |
| Sean Rooks | 66 | 13.0 | 4.7 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | .476 | .691 |
| J.R. Reid | 43 | 12.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | .456 | .727 |
| Jerome Kersey | 37 | 10.5 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | .426 | .756 |
Team Overview
- Head Coach: Del Harris
- Record: 61–21
- Division: 2nd in Pacific
- Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference Finals (to Utah Jazz, 0–4)
- Notable: This was a breakout season for young Kobe Bryant, who became an All-Star for the first time despite coming off the bench. The Lakers were one of the top teams in the league, powered by Shaq’s dominance, but were swept by the veteran Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals.