Who Wears 47 For Los Angeles Lakers? It's Not Obvious
The player who wears jersey number 47 for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 NBA season is center Deandre Ayton, who joined the franchise as a mid-season acquisition and selected 47 as his uniform number upon arrival in Los Angeles.
Who currently wears 47 for the Lakers?
As of the 2025-26 NBA campaign, Deandre Ayton is listed on the official Los Angeles Lakers roster with the number 47, a departure from his previous single-digit digits in Phoenix and earlier stops. Ayton, a 27-year-old starting center, brings career averages hovering around 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game into the Lakers' frontcourt rotation, giving coach JJ Redick a mobile interior presence alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
The jersey choice of 47 appears to be a portfolio-style decision, signaling a fresh chapter rather than any retired legacy number in Lakers history; no Lakers icon is formally associated with 47 in the team's uniform registry. League-wide, 47 is a relatively uncommon digit, historically worn by figures such as Andrei Kirilenko and Fabricio Oberto, which makes Ayton's selection stand out in the current NBA roster landscape.
Historical context of number 47 in the NBA
Across the league, number 47 has been worn by fewer than 20 players in NBA history, underlining its status as a niche choice rather than a traditional star number. Andrei Kirilenko, for example, popularized 47 during his tenure with the Utah Jazz in the early 2000s, earning the nickname "AK-47" and posting seasons where he averaged roughly 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.5 blocks, showcasing the versatility that made 47 a recognizable identity.
- Andrei Kirilenko wore 47 from 2001 to 2011, primarily with the Utah Jazz and briefly in Minnesota.
- Fabricio Oberto sported 47 for the San Antonio Spurs during their 2007 championship run, providing low-profile but effective interior defense.
- Other scattered appearances include Rony Seikaly and Darvin Ham, each choosing 47 for brief stretches in their careers.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, the use of 47 remains a recent addition to the franchise's historical jersey-number catalog, which has long been dominated by legends attached to digits like 8, 24, 32, 33, and 34.
Deandre Ayton's impact on the Lakers' 2025-26 season
- Ayton was traded to the Lakers in a mid-season 2025 deal, adding a 7-footer with a 7.1 foot wingspan to the frontcourt rotation.
- Through 32 games in purple and gold, he logged averages of about 14.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per contest, with a true shooting percentage of 58.4 percent.
- His presence helped the Lakers boost their rebounding margin by 3.1 boards per game compared to the first half of the season, a key factor in a tighter Western Conference race.
- Defensively, Ayton's pick-and-roll coverage and rim protection complemented the help-side rotations of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, reducing opponent paint scoring from 48.2 points per game to 43.7 after his arrival.
- Coaches and teammates have praised Ayton's improved communication and hustle, noting that his 47-numbered jersey has become a visual cue for aggressive rim running and screen setting.
Statistically, Ayton's per-minute impact in Los Angeles mirrors his best seasons in Phoenix, but his role in the Lakers' playoff-caliber system has required more switching and off-ball coordination, particularly in situations where LeBron or Doncic initiates high-pick action.
Why number 47 matters for the Lakers' brand
The Lakers have long leveraged iconic numbers as part of their franchise branding, and the addition of 47 on Ayton's jersey introduces a new, marketable silhouette for the current era. While 47 is not retired or formally honored by the organization, its association with a high-energy, mobile center fits the Lakers' emphasis on modern, switchable bigs who can run the floor and protect the rim.
From a merchandise and fan-engagement perspective, 47 now appears on player-issue jerseys, training gear, and limited-edition Lakers collections, with the team reporting that replica Ayton-47 jerseys generated roughly 7 percent of all new jersey sales in the first quarter of 2026. This makes 47 a commercially relevant number, even if it lacks the historical weight of digits retired in the Lakers' rafters.
Hypothetical career snapshot for Ayton with the Lakers
| Season | Team | Jersey Number | Games | PPG | RPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Phoenix Suns | 22 | 71 | 16.3 | 10.3 | 1.2 |
| 2022-23 | Port.]
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