Who are the Lakers fans on file?
Five NBA players have a sourced Lakers fandom, and one more is tied to the team through ownership rather than rooting. The names are Jayson Tatum, Klay Thompson, Jared McCain, DeMar DeRozan and Jaime Jaquez Jr., with Magic Johnson as the sixth. All six are NBA players, and all five fandoms are Reported, meaning an outlet carried the claim rather than a record of the player stating it himself.
Which athletes grew up Lakers fans?
Three players are tied to a childhood Lakers fandom. DeMar DeRozan is quoted by Andscape as saying "I grew up a Lakers fan." Jaime Jaquez Jr. is quoted by Yahoo Sports with nearly the same line: "I grew up a Lakers fan". Klay Thompson, who was born in Los Angeles and played at Santa Margarita Catholic in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, is described by Fox Sports as someone who "was kind of a Laker fan growing up." That last line is Fox Sports' description, so it reads as a report about Thompson, not a quote from him.
Thompson has spent his career with the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat, none of which is the team he is said to have followed as a kid.
Which athletes are Lakers fans?
Jayson Tatum is the most notable name here because of the team he plays for. He is a Boston Celtic, and Sports Illustrated quotes him: "My favorite team were the Lakers,". The Celtics are the only team in his career history, so the Lakers fandom sits alongside his current job, not a past one. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and went to Chaminade.
Jared McCain's line comes from the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 6, 2024: "So I was a fan of both,". The quote as given does not name the second team, so it supports a Lakers fandom shared with another club, not an exclusive one.
Which athlete is the most famous Lakers fan?
The sources do not rank anyone, so there is no sourced answer to that. The strongest connection to the franchise belongs to Magic Johnson, though his is an ownership tie, not a stated fandom. He was a part-owner from 1994 to 2010, and the Lakers' own site announced on October 18, 2010 that "Los Angeles Lakers legend and part-owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson has sold his share of the team to Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, it was announced today." He also played for the Lakers, per his career teams. He was born in Lansing, Michigan, and attended Everett there.
Which athletes used to be Lakers fans?
The count lists one player as having moved on from the team, but the individual entries give nothing that ends a fandom for any of the six players named here. Johnson's stake ended in 2010 when he sold it, which is the end of an ownership tie and not a statement about whether he roots for the team. Everyone else is described in the present tense or as a childhood fan, and no source says any of them stopped.
Questions people ask
Which athletes are Lakers fans?
Jayson Tatum, Klay Thompson, Jared McCain, DeMar DeRozan and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are each reported as Lakers fans. Magic Johnson is tied to the team as a former part-owner (1994 to 2010) and as a former Laker.
Which athletes grew up Lakers fans?
DeMar DeRozan and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are each quoted saying "I grew up a Lakers fan," by Andscape and Yahoo Sports respectively. Fox Sports described Klay Thompson as "kind of a Laker fan growing up."
Does Jayson Tatum like the Lakers?
Sports Illustrated quotes him: "My favorite team were the Lakers,". He plays for the Boston Celtics.
Famous Lakers fans in basketball
All six players on the list are NBA players. Tatum, Thompson, McCain, DeRozan and Jaquez are reported fans, and Johnson is a former part-owner of the team.