Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s the detailed information about Stu Lantz:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Stuart Burrell Lantz
  • Nickname: Stu
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: July 13, 1946
  • Hometown: Uniontown, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)
  • Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
  • Wingspan: Not publicly documented.
  • Shoe Size: Not publicly documented.
  • Jersey Number: #22 — Nebraska; #22 — San Diego Rockets / Houston Rockets / Detroit Pistons; #23 — Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Position: Shooting guard / point guard
  • High School: Uniontown Area High School (Uniontown, Pennsylvania) (Wikipedia)
  • College: Nebraska (1965–1968) (Wikipedia)
  • NBA Draft: San Diego Rockets, 1968 NBA Draft, 3rd round, 23rd overall
  • Player Archetype: Combo scoring guard / secondary playmaking backcourt scorer. This is an editorial basketball classification based on his position, scoring profile, and usage. (Wikipedia)
  • Primary Offensive Role: Perimeter scorer who could handle the ball and work as a secondary creator. This is an editorial synthesis from his guard role and scoring record. (Wikipedia)
  • Defensive Role: Backcourt defender, primarily guarding opposing guards. This is an editorial role description inferred from his position. (Wikipedia)
  • Play Style: Skilled, poised combo guard who could score from the perimeter, operate with the ball, and play either guard spot. This is an editorial synthesis. (Wikipedia)
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed shooter
  • Athletic Profile: Solid-sized guard for his era with functional mobility and backcourt versatility rather than explosive above-the-rim athleticism. This is an editorial assessment based on his listed size and role. (Wikipedia)
  • Recruiting Status: Pre-modern recruiting era; no widely documented star-ranking or national recruiting profile found. (Wikipedia)
  • Draft Status Detail: Also selected in the 1968 ABA Draft by the Oakland Oaks, but entered the NBA after being chosen by the San Diego Rockets. (Wikipedia)
  • Injury Status Category: Retired former player; career ended after a back injury from a 1976–77 training-camp scrimmage that he never fully recovered from.
  • Career Stage: Retired player; longtime television color commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Comparison Style: Old-school combo guard with scoring punch and secondary ball-handling value. This is an editorial style comparison, not a one-to-one player comp.
  • Teams Played For:
    • San Diego Rockets / Houston Rockets (1968–1972)
    • Detroit Pistons (1972–1974)
    • New Orleans Jazz (1974)
    • Los Angeles Lakers (1974–1976)
  • Championship Rings: 0 as an NBA player.
  • Parents: Lantz has said his parents were very protective and that he grew up in a tightly run household. (huskeralum.org)
  • Children: Not publicly documented.
  • Siblings: Two sisters (huskeralum.org)
  • Retirment Age: 30
  • Retirement Year: 1977

Player Archetype / Play Style

Stu Lantz’s player archetype was that of a combo scoring guard: a skilled backcourt piece who could slide between point guard and shooting guard, give a team secondary creation, and add real scoring value from the perimeter. Defensively, he fit as a guard-to-guard matchup option rather than a bigger wing stopper, while offensively he operated as a shot-making, ball-handling scorer who could complement a lead creator instead of needing the entire offense built around him. At 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, he had good size for a guard in his era, and his overall play style leaned more toward polish, feel, and versatility than raw explosiveness. (Wikipedia)

Fun Facts

  • He has been a long-time commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers since the 1980s.

Sources:

NBA.com — Stu Lantz – Los Angeles Lakers Alumni
Basketball-Reference — Stu Lantz Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Sports-Reference College Basketball — Stuart Lantz College Stats
Los Angeles Times — Stu Lantz – All Things Lakers
Husker Alum — Stu’s Views
The Draft Review — 1968 NBA Draft: Stu Lantz