5 UNC Tar Heels Who Became Great Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers acquired Perkins in 1990, to fill the void left by Kareem Abdul Jabbar's retirement. Up to that point, Perkins had found his greatest success as being a key member of the heralded 1982 Tar Heels championship team. As a member of the Lakers, Perkins' unique skill set meshed well with Magic Johnson and James Worthy. The team made it all the way to the 1991 NBA Finals, before losing to fellow Tar Heel Michael Jordan in five games.

Rick Fox joined the Lakers in 1997, using the spotlight to aid his aspiring acting career. On the court, Fox endured plenty of drama as a key member of the team's three-peat championship run in the early 2000's. Prior to the Lakers, Fox achieved success at North Carolina, leading the team to the Final Four in 1991. As a member of the Lakers, Fox provided the right support to the team's two stars, and left a lasting impact in Los Angeles.

Bob McAdoo was NBA ready when he left Chapel Hill in 1972 as a First-Team All-American. Despite winning the NBA's 1973 Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in 1975, team success evaded McAdoo. The Lakers initially gambled on McAdoo, signing him in 1981, but they should have known better, as the Dean Smith product would deliver big time. McAdoo defined the sixth man role and won two championships in 1982 and 1985, cementing his Hall of Fame career.

Mitch Kupchak (UNC, 1972-76) won two titles as a supporting member of the Lakers during Showtime. His greatest success came long after retiring in 1986, as Kupchak became general manager of the Lakers under the tutelage of Jerry West. With Kupchak at the helm, the team won five championships and became the dominant force of the 2000's. Despite enduring plenty of issues, Kupchak remains of the shrewdest and well respected GMs across the NBA.

After leading UNC to their 1982 NCAA Title, Big Game James left Chapel Hill for the NBA. Worthy was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, who expected him to be a key ingredient in their championship recipe known as Showtime. Worthy saved the greatest performance of his Hall of Fame career for Game 7 of the 1988 Finals, when he led the Lakers with a triple-double, in the process earning himself Finals MVP and his third championship.