Getty Bronny James
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ newest member, Bronny James, has picked his number: No. 9. Former Laker Nick Van Exel is among those who are fans of Bronny’s new number.
Van Exel voiced his excitement on his X account about Bronny taking his old number on the Lakers, writing, “Let’s gooooooo!!!!!!!”
Van Exel wore the same number when he played for the Lakers. He started his NBA career with the team in 1993 and played for them until 1998. In his last year with the Lakers, he made the All-Star team before they traded him to the Denver Nuggets the following offseason. He never made another one after that.
Van Exel was a fan favorite with the Lakers because of his scoring and passing abilities despite his small size as a point guard. His exciting abilities earned him the nickname “Nick the Quick.”
In his time with the team, he played with multiple Lakers legends, including Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers traded Van Exel two years before they started dominating the NBA, winning three consecutive titles from 2000 to 2002. Van Exel had a successful NBA career, playing all the way until 2006.
LeBron James Shouts Out Nick Van Exel in Response
After Van Exel shouted out Bronny for taking the No. 9, LeBron James shouted out the ex-Lakers star via his X account. James wrote the following about Van Exel, “That’s so TOUGH!! Nick the Quick was SO COLD!!!!!”
James and Van Exel never played together, but they played in the NBA at the same time. James came into the NBA during Van Exel’s 10th season in 2003. The latter’s last three years were with three different teams: the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs.
Van Exel’s timing with the Spurs was unfortunate, much like it was with the Lakers. He signed with the Spurs after they won a title in 2005, but they failed to repeat the following season. Van Exel then retired in 2006, and the Spurs would then win another championship in 2007.
Why the Lakers Traded Nick Van Exel
Despite Van Exel’s flashiness, there were multiple instances of contempt between him and Lakers’ brass during his time with the team. In a “Beyond the Glory” episode detailing his story, they detailed how Van Exel’s issues with Johnson, former Lakers coach Del Harris, and an altercation with a referee led to the Lakers trading Van Exel in 1998.
In the segment, deceased Lakers legend Jerry West also admitted that trading Van Exel was “addition by subtraction” in his mind.
Trading Van Exel kickstarted Bryant’s ascension from there on out. Bryant was already a rising star in the NBA, but having more touches paved the way for Bryant to become one of the league’s best players.
The Lakers traded other players around the same time, like Eddie Jones, for players who wouldn’t take shots away from Bryant or O’Neal. There’s no telling how the Lakers would have fared had they kept Van Exel around. Despite his tenure with the team ending, Van Exel very clearly still feels loyalty to the franchise.