The First Two Names in the Lakers Roster: Ariza and Bryant

The first two names in the LA Lakers roster are Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant. To know more about these two players, here are some player profiles for their stats and bios.. Catch Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant live in the 2008-1009 season. Get your Lakers tickets now.

Trevor Ariza

On jersey number 3 is Trevor Anthony Ariza, LA Lakers'shooting guard slash small forward. Ariza is a Venezuelan American who was born in Miami, Florida on June 30, 1985. At 6'8”, Ariza made a mark for his defensive skills.

Ariza studied high school in Westchester, Los Angeles where he played basketball and demonstrated exemplary skills. He joined the Comets along with now-NBA player Hassan Adams. Both Ariza and Adams lead the Comets to the California State Championship.

Ariza went to pursue further studies at the University of California in Los Angeles. After a year at the university, Ariza, then 19 years old, was listed as one of the amateur basketball player choices in the 2004 NBA Draft. He was selected by the New York Knicks to join their team. Ariza was a second round draft choice and one of the youngest rookies in Knicks history. The Knicks, headed by Larry Brown, was trying to implement a youth movement. Ariza played for the Knicks after he was replaced by 2005 draft pick, David Lee.

Ariza then switched teams by joining the Orlando Magic in 2006. Ariza was traded to the team together with Anefernee “Penny” Hardaway for Steve Francis. Finally, after more than year of playing for the Orlando Magic, Ariza was again traded for Brian Cook and Maurice Evans of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ariza fare well as a Lakers player, although he fractured a bone in his right foot in early 2008. After quick recovery, Ariza participated in the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in May when the team played against the San Antonio Spurs.

Kobe Bryant

In jersey number 24 is the famous Kobe Bryant, who plays as a shooting guard for the LA Lakers. He is the only son of Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, former player of the Philadelphia 76ers and former head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. Bryant was named after a type of Japanese steak that his parents saw on a restaurant menu.

Bryant studied high school in Lower Merion HS, Ardmore PA, where he accumulated 2,883 points as a basketball player. He was set to go to Duke University for college but, decided to join the NBA when he was listed in the 1996 NBA Draft. Bryant is the 27th player in the NBA history and the second in the Lakers history to be drafted straight from high school.

Initially, Bryrant only wanted to play for no other team but the LA Lakers. But through the guidance of his agent, Arn Tellem, Bryant agreed to join the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, giving the team a chance to trade with the Lakers. By first of July 1996, Bryant was finally traded by the Hornets for Vlade Divac, the Lakers's starting center.

Being already with his dream team, Bryant became even more motivated to blaze a trail in his career and boost the sales of Lakers tickets to eager fans. Bryant often played in tandem with then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal. Both enabled the team to be part of the NBA championships for three consecutive years from 2000 to 2002. Now, without O'Neal in the Lakers, Bryant is one of the most important players in the team. He's also helped boost the Lakers ticket sales.