Byron Scott

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Lore & Background

Scott grew up in Inglewood, California, and played at Morningside High School, in the shadow of what was then the Lakers' home arena, The Forum. He played college basketball at Arizona State University for three years and had a successful career with the Sun Devils. He was Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1980 and First-team All-Pac-10 in 1983. He averaged 17.5 points per game in his career for the Sun Devils. He left after his junior year, entering the 1983 NBA draft. In 2011, his No. 11 was retired by the Arizona State Sun Devils. Selected by the San Diego Clippers in the first round, with the fourth pick of the 1983 NBA draft, Scott was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983 in exchange for Norm Nixon. During his playing career, Scott suited up for the Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Vancouver Grizzlies. Scott was a key player for the Lakers during the Showtime era, being a starter alongside Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A.C. Green. He played for the Lakers for 10 consecutive seasons (1983–1993). During that time he was on three NBA championship teams (1985, 1987, 1988). As a rookie, Scott was a member of the 1984 all-rookie team, averaging 10.6 PPG in 22 MPG. He led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage (.433) in 1984–85. In 1987–88, Scott enjoyed his best season, leading the NBA champion Lakers in scoring, averaging a career-best 21.7 ppg, and in steals (1.91 spg). He was the Lakers' starting shooting guard from 1984 until 1993. Scott was released by the Lakers after the 1992–93 season and signed a free-agent contract with the Pacers. In Game 1 of the Pacers' first-round playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic, Scott hit the game-winning three-point shot with 2.4 seconds left. The Pacers would go on to sweep the Magic and eventually advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in franchise history. Scott was left unprotected by the Pacers in the 1995 NBA expansion draft and was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies, where he played one season. In 1996–97, the last year of Scott's playing career in the NBA, he went back to the Lakers and proved to be a valuable mentor for a team featuring Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel and 18-year-old rookie Kobe Bryant (Scott would be Bryant's coach on the Lakers towards the end of the latter's career). The Lakers made it to the playoffs in the 1996–97 season with a

In Their Own Story

In Game 4 of the 1996–97 playoffs against the Utah Jazz, Byron Scott played his final NBA game. The Lakers entered the contest with a 56–26 record but faced elimination after losing the first three games of the series. Scott logged exactly 15 and a half minutes, recording 4 points and 5 assists before sitting out Game 5 as the team lost 93–98 to the Jazz. Earlier in his career, while with the Indiana Pacers, he delivered one of the franchise's most iconic moments: a game-winning three-pointer with just 2.4 seconds remaining against the Orlando Magic. That shot sparked a sweep that propelled New Jersey to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance, marking a turning point for a team that had missed the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons.

Reader's Guide

Byron Scott was a key role player for the Lakers' Showtime era, winning three championships (1985, 1987, 1988). He led the NBA in three-point percentage in 1984–85 and averaged a career-best 21.7 points per game in 1987–88. After his playing career, he coached the New Jersey Nets to two NBA Finals appearances (2002, 2003).

Did You Know?

• Scott was Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1980 and First-team All-Pac-10 in 1983.
• He led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage (.433) in 1984–85.
• Scott hit a game-winning three-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in Game 1 of the 1994 playoffs for the Pacers.
• He was named NBA Coach of the Year with the New Orleans Hornets in 2008.