Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers players: who played for both
Who played for both the Celtics and Lakers?
41 players played for both the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers between 1948–49 and 2025–26, including Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Bob McAdoo and Don Nelson. 25 of them played for the Celtics first and 14 for the Lakers first; 2 played for both in the same season.
Did you know?
- Mike Bloom is the earliest on this list to complete the pair: Celtics first, then the Lakers from 1948–49.
- Marcus Smart is the most recent: Celtics first, then the Lakers from 2025–26.
- Don Nelson played the most seasons across the two: 11 for the Celtics and 2 for the Lakers.
- 8 of them had two or more separate spells with one of the teams, such as Rajon Rondo.
- Most common positions on this list: C (12), PG (10), PF (8), SG (5).
How many can you name?
Name players who played for both the Celtics and the Lakers. The surname is enough. 0 / 41
All 41 players, most seasons with the two first
| Player | Pos | Celtics | Lakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Nelson | SF | 1965–1976 (11 s) | 1963–1965 (2 s) |
| Rick Fox | SF | 1991–1997 (6 s) | 1997–2004 (7 s) |
| Rajon Rondo | PG | 2006–2015 (9 s) | 2018–2020, 2021–22 (3 s) |
| Don Chaney | SG | 1968–1975, 1977–1980 (10 s) | 1976–1978 (2 s) |
| Marcus Smart | PG/SG | 2014–2023 (9 s) | 2025–26 (1 s) |
| Shaquille O'Neal | C | 2010–11 (1 s) | 1996–2004 (8 s) |
| Avery Bradley | SG/PG | 2010–2017 (7 s) | 2019–20, 2021–22 (2 s) |
| Brian Shaw | PG/SG | 1988–1992 (4 s) | 1999–2003 (4 s) |
| Mel Counts | C/PF | 1964–1966 (2 s) | 1966–1970, 1972–1974 (6 s) |
| Henry Finkel | C | 1969–1975 (6 s) | 1966–67 (1 s) |
| Clyde Lovellette | C | 1962–1964 (2 s) | 1953–1957 (4 s) |
| Kermit Washington | PF | 1977–78 (1 s) | 1973–1978 (5 s) |
| Joe Kleine | C | 1988–1993 (5 s) | 1996–97 (1 s) |
| Chris Mihm | C | 2003–04 (1 s) | 2004–2009 (5 s) |
| Bob McAdoo | C | 1978–79 (1 s) | 1981–1985 (4 s) |
| Isaiah Thomas | PG | 2014–2017 (3 s) | 2017–18, 2021–22 (2 s) |
| Brandon Bass | PF | 2011–2015 (4 s) | 2015–16 (1 s) |
| Charles Scott | PG/SG | 1975–1978 (3 s) | 1977–78 (1 s) |
| Travis Knight | C | 1997–98 (1 s) | 1996–97, 1998–2000 (3 s) |
| Jim Barnes | C/PF | 1968–1970 (2 s) | 1966–1968 (2 s) |
| Dennis Schröder | PG | 2021–22 (1 s) | 2020–21, 2022–23 (2 s) |
| Vander Blue | SG | 2013–14 (1 s) | 2014–15, 2017–18 (2 s) |
| Fred Roberts | PF/C | 1986–1988 (2 s) | 1995–96 (1 s) |
| Earl Tatum | SG/SF | 1978–79 (1 s) | 1976–1978 (2 s) |
| Gene Stump | F/G | 1947–1949 (2 s) | 1949–50 (1 s) |
| Gary Payton | PG | 2004–05 (1 s) | 2003–04 (1 s) |
| Tristan Thompson | C | 2020–21 (1 s) | 2022–23 (1 s) |
| Moritz Wagner | C/PF | 2020–21 (1 s) | 2018–19 (1 s) |
| Mike Muscala | PF | 2022–23 (1 s) | 2018–19 (1 s) |
| Theo Ratliff | C/PF | 2006–07 (1 s) | 2010–11 (1 s) |
| Matt Ryan | SF/PF | 2021–22 (1 s) | 2022–23 (1 s) |
| Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk | SF/SG | 2023–24 (1 s) | 2018–19 (1 s) |
| Ernie DiGregorio | PG | 1977–78 (1 s) | 1977–78 (1 s) |
| Frank Brickowski | PF/C | 1996–97 (1 s) | 1986–87 (1 s) |
| Troy Murphy | PF/C | 2010–11 (1 s) | 2011–12 (1 s) |
| Shammond Williams | PG/SG | 2002–03 (1 s) | 2006–07 (1 s) |
| MarShon Brooks | SG/SF | 2013–14 (1 s) | 2013–14 (1 s) |
| Chucky Atkins | PG | 2003–04 (1 s) | 2004–05 (1 s) |
| Jumaine Jones | PF/SF | 2003–04 (1 s) | 2004–05 (1 s) |
| Derek Strong | PF | 1994–95 (1 s) | 1995–96 (1 s) |
| Mike Bloom | F/C | 1947–48 (1 s) | 1948–49 (1 s) |
From English Wikipedia's player infoboxes (CC BY-SA 4.0), BAA/NBA seasons 1946–47 to 2025–26. A season counts when the player's infobox lists it for the franchise; ABA seasons do not count.Lakers seasons include the Minneapolis Lakers (1948–1960).
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Questions
How many players have played for both the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers?
41, from 1948–49 to 2025–26, including Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Bob McAdoo and Don Nelson. A player counts when his Wikipedia infobox lists at least one NBA season with each franchise.
Who was the first player on this list to play for both?
Mike Bloom: Boston Celtics first, then the Los Angeles Lakers from 1948–49.
Who has played for both recently?
Marcus Smart, with a season for one of the two in 2024–25 or 2025–26.
Does a player count if the team has moved or changed its name?
Yes. Seasons count for today's franchise: every old name and city is linked to the club that carries its history today. Lakers seasons include the Minneapolis Lakers (1948–1960).
Careers from English Wikipedia's player infoboxes (CC BY-SA 4.0); player ids from Wikidata (CC0). Team logos are trademarks of their respective teams; AllStar Grid is not affiliated with the NBA or any team. Logos via TheSportsDB. Credits