Lamar Odom

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“It means we move on to the next round.”

The upstart Oklahoma City Thunder made the defending champions Lakers dig deep in order to keep their hopes of a 16th ring alive.

Phil Jackson’s squad jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first round of the 2010 Western Conference playoffs, but Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook managed to tie the series and bring it back to Los Angeles for Game 5.

The Lakers showed their championship DNA in routing Scott Brooks’ team by 24 points – giving them a full head of steam heading back to Oklahoma.

Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Gasol and the entirety of the fan base had seen enough of this opponent.

The Thunder would make the NBA Finals the following year behind a core that also included Serge Ibaka and James Harden, but they still gave the purple and gold one last scare on the night of April 30th.

In a game that was tied 15 times and ended up having nine lead changes, OKC was only in front briefly early in the second quarter before re-taking the lead on a Westbrook and-1 bucket with 3:03 to go in the fourth.

Durant then gave OKC its biggest lead of the game (three points) with 2:30 remaining, but Bryant responded with a quick jumper 19 seconds later.

The final 131 seconds were an absolute dog fight.

Odom blocked Nick Collison’s shot after an offensive rebound. Kobe, Westbrook, and Metta World Peace traded missed jumpers.

“Everyone expected us to be this greatest team since sliced bread, but we aren't playing like that,” MWP said.

With about 18 seconds to go, Bryant rebounded a Westbrook miss. Down by a point and with no time outs left, the Black Mamba took it upon himself to win it.

He drove right and took one of his patented baseline fadeaway J’s. The shot ended up being a little too strong, but by then the Thunder had forgotten about the Lakers’ Spanish superhero.

As everyone watched Kobe do his thing, Gasol redeemed himself by slipping the box outs and, in a single motion, grabbing the offensive board and banking it home from the right block.

“Luckily, I pursued that ball and put it in and we won the ballgame,” he said.

The Barcelona-native had been scoreless in the second-half up until that moment and finished the game with just nine points.

His 18 boards (five offensive), however, were crucial.

“The last shot, I kept battling, kept hustling. I didn't have a good second half, I didn't have my best shooting night, but I continued to work and continued to be effective rebounding and just keeping balls alive,” Gasol said.

Gasol celebrated accordingly, with both fists in the air as he was greeted by Derek Fisher and Bryant at mid-court. He even earned Stu Lantz’s classic “that was niiice” label on the replay.

It was truly a titanic effort by a Laker team that outshot the Thunder by healthy margins, but that lost the battles of points in the paint, second-chance points, and fast break points.

“I want to be a champion, and stuff like this hurts,” said Durant after the game. “I work so hard, we work so hard as a group, that I think that every time we step on the floor we should win.”

A hobbled Bryant led L.A. with 32 points, but only Fisher and Shannon Brown (11 each) joined him in scoring in double figures. However, the bench outscored OKC’s 30-16.

“We said it was going to be tough, and it was a tough series,” Jackson said.

The Lakers would then sweep the Utah Jazz in the next round before battling for 13 more games against Phoenix and Boston to clinch the 16th title in franchise history.

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Lakers History: L.A. Eliminates Thunder with Pau's Buzzer-Beater

Joey Ramirez

When it comes to Halloween, the Lakers are as scary as they come in the NBA, having compiled a 11-4 record on October 31 since moving to Los Angeles in 1960.

The purple and gold enjoyed a six-game Halloween winning streak from 1980-2010, and many of the franchise’s top players have treated fans to some memorable holiday performances.

Lakers On Halloween (Since Moving to Los Angeles)

Here are the Lakers’ top Halloween displays that surely still haunt their opponents.

First In L.A. (1962)
Just two years after moving from Minneapolis, the Lakers played their first Halloween game against a struggling New York team that came in at 2-5. Knicks All-Star Johnny Green put up 28 points, but his efforts were dwarfed by the Hall of Fame combo of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. West dropped 35 on New York, while Baylor matched Green’s 28, and the Lakers rushed past the Knicks, 115-95.

Showtime Scary (1985)
Coming off the franchise’s ninth championship, the Lakers were absolutely terrifying in moving to 3-0 with a 144-107 rout of Phoenix. Seven Lakers scored double figures, including four off the bench. Byron Scott caught fire for 31 points on a hyper-efficient 11-of-13 shooting, while Larry Nance Jr.’s father, Larry Sr., led the Suns with 23 points.

Season-Opening Statement (1997)
Just a few months after Utah had bounced them in five games in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Lakers sought to prove they could hang with the best on a Halloween Opening Night. Despite trailing by 12 at the end of the first quarter, the Lakers used a 61-42 second half to pull out a 104-87 victory led by 19-year-old Kobe Bryant, who scored a game-high 23 points off the bench thanks to a 13-of-14 free throw clip.

Nick Van Exel (22 points) helped counter a big night from Karl Malone (20 points, 14 rebounds), who played without legendary point guard John Stockton that night. But the Jazz took their revenge in the playoffs by sweeping Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals.

Ghost of Postseason Past (2000)
Five months after rallying from a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit against Portland in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers mounted another late run to beat the Trail Blazers. Down by two at the start of the fourth quarter, current L.A. associate head coach Brian Shaw hit a 3-pointer to get his team going. He scored seven points during the Lakers’ ensuing 11-2 run, shocking the packed Oregon crowd on their way to a 96-86 win.

Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal was the monster under the bed for the majority of Opening Night, racking up 36 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks, despite the Blazers trying a handful of defenders and double-teams against him.

Mamba Costume (2006)
With Bryant, the NBA’s reigning scoring champion, sidelined after knee surgery, Lamar Odom apparently decided to put on a Kobe Halloween costume, pushing his team to a 114-106 win with 34 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

At first, the Lakers appeared doomed without their star, as Phoenix made its first nine shots and rushed out to a 41-26 first-quarter lead. However, Odom and Andrew Bynum (18 points, nine rebounds) steadied the team from there, outscoring the Suns 61-38 in the middle quarters of the season opener, while current head coach Luke Walton provided 11 points.

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The Lakers' Top Halloween Moments

Camino a los Juegos Olímpicos de Río de Janeiro, José Manuel Calderón y Marcelo Huertas continuarán un legado de grandes jugadores de los Lakers en la cita más importante del baloncesto internacional.

Mientras que algunos de ellos todavía no habían jugado con los Lakers antes de participar en las Olimpiadas (y por ende no representaban oficialmente la camiseta púrpura y dorada), muchos de ellos – incluyendo a leyendas como Jerry West, Magic Johnson y Kobe Bryant – dejaron muy en alto el nombre de la franquicia.

A lo largo de los últimos 56 años, 10 jugadores distintos de los Lakers representaron a sus países en la búsqueda del oro.

Jerry West — Estados Unidos (Roma 1960)
Cuatro meses después de ser elegido por los Minneapolis Lakers, Jerry West se convirtió a los 22 años en el primer representante Olímpico en la historia de la franquicia antes de su temporada de novato. Debido a que solo los amateurs podían participar en aquella época, West era elegible para representar a West Virginia University, donde acababa de completar una carrera que lo había visto convertirse en All-American dos veces.

Elegido como co-capitán junto a Oscar Robertson, West promedió 14.3 puntos en Roma para liderar a los norteamericanos a un récord de 8-0 con un margen de victoria de 42.4 puntos. Aquel equipo – que también tenía a Jerry Lucas y Walt Bellamy – fue elegido al Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto como unidad en 2010.

West – quien había llevado a Estados Unidos al oro en los Juegos Panamericanos el año anterior – forjó su propia carrera estelar en Los Ángeles al recibir 14 selecciones al Juego de Estrellas en la misma cantidad de temporadas.

Walt Hazzard — Estados Unidos (Tokio 1964)

Los Lakers eligieron a Walt Hazzard con la selección No. 1 del Draft de la NBA de 1964, y él regresó a Los Ángeles con la medalla dorada seis meses después. Hazzard, quien venía de salir campeón en UCLA, promedió solo 3.8 puntos en Japón, nunca anotando más de siete tantos en un juego.

Sin embargo, sus compañeros y él – incluyendo al entrenador del Salón de la Fama Larry Brown – disfrutaron de varias victorias fáciles, como contra Uruguay (83-28) y Corea del Sur (116-50). En la final, ellos derrotaron a la invicta Unión Soviética, 73-59.

Hazzard disputó sus primeras tres temporadas como profesional en L.A., donde promedió 9.4 puntos antes de ser seleccionado por Seattle en el Draft de Expansión de 1967.

Magic Johnson — Estados Unidos (Barcelona 1992)

Casi un año después de su abrupto retiro tras contraer el virus del HIV, Magic Johnson se unió al mejor equipo de baloncesto en la historia del deporte.

Con una nómina que contaba con otros 10 miembros del Salón de la Fama – Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler y Chris Mullin – Johnson y el Dream Team fueron invencibles.

Ellos ganaron todos los partidos por un promedio de 43.8 puntos, y el partido más parejo – en la final contra Croacia – fue una paliza por 117-85.

Una lesión en la rodilla limitó los minutos de Johnson y lo mantuvo marginado durante dos juegos. Sin embargo, él fue efectivo cuando estuvo en cancha, promediando 8.0 puntos y 5.5 asistencias. Magic repartió 10 asistencias en el triunfo inaugural por 68 puntos ante Angola, y anotó en dobles dígitos en sus últimos tres partidos.

Tras irse con la medalla de bronce en los JJ.OO de 1988 en Seúl, Johnson y sus compañeros norteamericanos dejaron su marca en los primeros Juegos que permitieron que profesionales compitieran. En 2010, el cinco veces campeón y el resto de la escuadra serían enviados al Salón de la Fama como equipo.

Shaquille O’Neal— Estados Unidos (Atlanta 1996)

Tras ser agente libre en la previa de los Juegos de 1996, Shaquille O’Neal firmó con los Lakers solo dos días antes del comienzo del torneo.

El pivot de 24 años se unió a una nómina que tenía a cinco miembros del Dream Team – Barkely, Malone, Stockton, Pippen y Robinson – y otros cuatro futuros miembros del Salón de la Fama – Hakeem Olajuwon, Gary Payton, Reggie Miller y Mitch Ritchmond.

O’Neal, quien había sido nombrado JMV al llevar a los Estados Unidos al oro en el Campeonato Mundial FIBA dos años antes, promedió 9.3 puntos y 5.3 rebotes en Atlanta, anotándose dos dobles-dobles. Sin embargo, él apenas jugó en la victoria en la final por 95-69 ante Serbia y Montenegro – que contaba con Vlade Divac, quien había sido traspasado solo semanas antes por Kobe Bryant.

Obviamente O’Neal y Bryant se convirtieron en una dinastía en Los Ángeles, ganando tres campeonatos juntos. O’Neal, quien ingresará al Salón de la Fama en septiembre, sumó siete de sus 15 selecciones al Juego de Estrellas como miembro de los Lakers.

Lamar Odom— Estados Unidos (Atenas 2004)

Pese a una nómina cargada de talento que contaba con Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony y LeBron James, el equipo olímpico de 2004 terminó siendo una de las grandes decepciones del país.

Aquel conjunto también contaba con Lamar Odom, a quien los Lakers habían adquirido en un canje por O’Neal aquel verano. Odom promedió 9.3 puntos y 5.8 rebotes, pero los norteamericanos terminaron solo 5-3, perdiendo por 19 en el debut contra Puerto Rico y abandonando Grecia con solo la medalla de bronce.

De todos modos, Odom luego le daría a su país la medalla dorada al liderar a Estados Unidos en rebotes durante la campaña triunfal en el Campeonato Mundial FIBA de 2010 en Estambul. Él también disfrutó de las mieles del éxito con los Lakers, ganando dos títulos y siendo nombrado el Sexto Hombre del Año en 2011.

Días después de firmar con los Lakers, Sun Yue enfrentó a su futuro compañero, Bryant, en el primer juego de las Olimpiadas 2008. Los norteamericanos ganaron cómodamente, y Sun y China terminarían con récord de 2-4.

Sun promedió 6.8 puntos para un equipo que tenía a los jugadores NBA Yao Ming (19.0 puntos, 8.2 rebotes) y Yi Jianlian (9.0 puntos, 7.5 rebotes). Sun luego jugó para China en Londres 2012 y ayudó a su país a ganar medallas doradas en el Campeonato Asiático de FIBA y los Juegos Asiáticos.

La carrera de Sun en la NBA fue corta, con solo 10 actuaciones con los Lakers en 2008-2009. Actualmente él juega con los Beijing Ducks, a quienes ha llevado a dos títulos en la CBA.

Con Pau Gasol como estandarte, España llevó a Estados Unidos a la cornisa en Beijing. Gasol anotó 21 puntos en la final, ayudando a recortar la ventaja de los norteamericanos a un punto en el último cuarto. Sin embargo, liderados por Bryant, Estados Unidos logró sobrevivir con una victoria por 118-107.

Gasol fue uno de los jugadores más dominantes en China, liderando el torneo en goleo (19.6), y ubicándose quinto en rebotes (7.0) y tapones (1.1). Con su hermano Marc Gasol, José Calderón y Rudy Fernández ayudándolo, Pau llevó a España a un récord de 6-2, con ambas derrotas ante Estados Unidos.

Kobe Bryant — Estados Unidos (Beijing 2008)

A ocho minutos del final en el juego por la medalla dorada, Estados Unidos le ganaba a España por solo dos puntos. Luego, el reinante Jugador Más Valioso Kobe Bryant se cargó el equipo al hombro.

Él anotó 13 de sus 20 puntos en el cuarto periodo, dejando a los españoles sin respuestas con sus penetraciones y bombazos exteriores. Sobre el final del partido, él incluso completó una jugada de cuatro puntos y famosamente se llevó su dedo a los labios, simbólicamente callando la remontada de España.

Años más tarde, Mike Krzyzewski dijo que si no fuera por la gran actuación de Bryant, él no hubiera seguido siendo el entrenador luego de Beijing. Tras terminar con bronce en Atenas, cualquier cosa que no fuera oro hubiera sido decepcionante para el Redeem Team, que tenía a jugadores de la talla de James y Anthony, además de superestrellas como Bryant, Wade y Chris Paul.

Bryant agregó seis asistencias en el triunfo por 118-107 sobre España y contribuyó de manera regular a lo largo del torneo, promediando 15.0 puntos y 2.1 asistencias. Él también fue el goleador con 25 puntos en la victoria en cuartos de final sobre Australia.

Los norteamericanos aplastaron a sus rivales por un promedio de 27.9 puntos camino al título. Para Bryant, que había perdido en las Finales de la NBA dos meses antes, fue una oportunidad para empezar a sumar trofeos antes de sus próximos dos campeonatos.

Por segunda ocasión consecutiva, Pau Gasol llevó a su equipo al partido por la medalla dorada, y nuevamente lo hizo dominando en el camino. Gasol se ubicó cuarto en goleo (19.1 puntos), sexto en rebotes (7.6), y séptimo en tapas (1.1), además de liderar a España en asistencias (2.9).

Esta vez, él tuvo un mejor elenco de reparto, con la vuelta de su hermano Marc y Calderón, y las presencias de Serge Ibaka y Víctor Claver.

Pau brilló entre las estrellas, sumando tres dobles-dobles, incluyendo en los cuartos de final y las semifinales. Él se lució en la final, acumulando 24 puntos, ocho rebotes y siete asistencias, pero los españoles perderían nuevamente ante Estados Unidos, por 107-100.

Para entonces, Gasol ya era una estrella de los Lakers, habiendo ganado dos campeonatos, y sumado tres selecciones al Juego de Estrellas en Los Ángeles.

Gasol – quien vestirá La Roja nuevamente en Río – probablemente sea el mejor jugador de la historia de su selección, habiendo liderado al equipo a medallas plateadas consecutivas, además de tres oros en EuroBasket y el título en el Campeonato Mundial FIBA 2006. En sus 23 partidos en Juegos Olímpicos, Gasol nunca falló en anotar en dobles dígitos.

Kobe Bryant — Estados Unidos (Londres 2012)

A los 34 años, Kobe Bryant se encontró como el veterano del equipo en 2012 y se aseguró de dejar brillar a sus compañeros al decir que esa edición del Seleccionado Nacional podría haber derrotado al Dream Team de 1992.

Ciertamente no tuvo problemas para dejar en el camino a su competencia, terminando 8-0 con un margen de victoria de 32.1 puntos. Bryant dio un paso hacia atrás y dejó que los jóvenes norteamericanos – como James, Paul, Kevin Durant y Russell Westbrook – se llevaran los reflectores, y Estados Unidos solo estuvo en desventaja en el cuarto periodo en un solo juego.

Bryant promedió solo 9.0 puntos en la fase de grupos pero dio un salto de calidad en la ronda eliminatoria, primero liderando al equipo con 20 puntos en el triunfo por 119-86 ante Australia. Tras irse en blanco en la primera mitad, el escolta alcanzó ese total al conectar seis triples en fila.

Él también aportó 11 de sus 13 puntos en el primer cuarto del juego de semifinales ante Argentina, y anotó 17 para ayudar a los Estados Unidos a vencer a España por 107-100 en la revancha del partido de 2008.

José Calderón — España (Río de Janeiro 2016)

Gasol tendrá una última chance de alcanzar el oro en Río junto a su compañero español y nuevo Laker José Calderón. El base de 34 años fue canjeado a los Lakers desde Chicago el 7 de julio antes de su temporada No. 12 en la NBA.

El oriundo de Villanueva de la Serena ha representado a su país internacionalmente durante los últimos 13 años, llevándose medallas de oro en el Campeonato Mundial FIBA 2006 y el EuroBasket 2011, además de las dos platas olímpicas.

Marcelo Huertas — Brasil (Río de Janeiro 2016)

El paulista Marcelo Huertas también representará a los Lakers en Río, ya que será el armador titular del país anfitrión, Brasil. Huertas, quien afrontará su segundo año con la púrpura y dorada, llamó la atención de muchos con sus actuaciones en Londres 2012, donde promedió 11.3 puntos y 6.0 asistencias, con solo 1.7 pérdidas.

El base de 33 años abrió y cerró su primera experiencia olímpica en gran forma, aportando 15 puntos y 10 asistencias en el debut contra Australia, y luego anotando 22 puntos en la derrota de Brasil en cuartos de final contra Argentina.

Mención de Honor:Mitch Kupchak — Estados Unidos (1976 Montreal)

Veinticuatro años antes de convertirse en el gerente general de los Lakers, Mitch Kupchak vistió la camiseta roja, blanca y azul y se trajo el oro a casa. Kupchak promedió 12.5 puntos y 5.7 rebotes para un equipo estadounidense que terminó 7-0 de la mano del futuro miembro del Salón de la Fama Adrian Dantley, quien marcó el camino con 19.3 puntos por partido.

Kupchak elevó su juego en la última ronda, anotando 14 puntos para contribuir a la victoria por 95-74 sobre Yugoslavia. Tras el triunfo en Montreal, él ganó el título de la NBA en 1978 con los Washington Bullets, y el de 1985 con los Lakers. Como ejecutivo de los Lakers, Kupchak ayudó a la construcción de cuatro equipos campeones de la NBA.

Nota original de Joey Ramirez de Lakers.com

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Los Lakers, siempre presentes en el plano internacional

Heading into the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Jose Calderon and Marcelo Huertas will continue a legacy of Lakers performing on international basketball’s greatest stage.

While some had not yet played for the Lakers before participating in the Olympics (and thus not officially representing the purple and gold), many — including legends like Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant — made Los Angeles proud with their contributions at the Games.

Over the last 56 years, 10 different Lakers have played for their country in search for gold.

Jerry West — USA (Rome 1960)
Four months after being drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers, 22-year-old Jerry West became the franchise’s first Olympian before beginning his rookie season. Because only amateurs were allowed to compete at the time, West was eligible to represent West Virginia University, where he had just completed a two-time All-American career.

Selected as co-captain alongside Oscar Robertson, West averaged 14.3 points in Rome to help the Americans to an 8-0 record with an average margin of victory of 42.4. The team — which also featured Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy — was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit in 2010.

West — who had helped the USA to gold at the Pan American Games the year before — went on to forge his own Hall-worthy career in Los Angeles by earning 14 All-Star selections in as many seasons.

Walt Hazzard — USA (Tokyo 1964)
The Lakers made Walt Hazzard the No.1 pick of the 1964 NBA Draft, and he returned to Los Angeles with a gold medal six months later. Hazzard, who was coming off a championship and All-American season at UCLA, averaged only 3.8 points in Tokyo, never scoring more than seven.

However, he and his teammates — including Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown — enjoyed plenty of easy victories, including against Uruguay (83-28) and South Korea (116-50). In the gold-medal match, they defeated the previously unbeaten Soviet Union, 73-59.

Hazzard spent the first three seasons of his pro career in L.A., where he averaged 9.4 points before being selected by Seattle in the 1967 expansion draft.

Magic Johnson — USA (Barcelona 1992)
Almost a year removed from an abrupt retirement due to his contraction of HIV, Magic Johnson joined the greatest basketball team in the history of the sport.

With a roster that featured 10 fellow Hall of Famers — Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler and Chris Mullin — Johnson and the Dream Team were unbeatable.

They won every game by an average of 43.8 points, and the closest match — for the gold medal against Croatia — was still a 117-85 rout.

A knee injury limited Johnson’s playing time and kept him sidelined for two games. However, he was effective when on the floor, averaging 8.0 points and 5.5 assists. He dished out 10 assists in the USA’s 68-point opening victory over Angola and scored double figures in each of his last three games.

After the U.S. had been saddled with bronze in the 1998 Seoul Games, Johnson and his fellow Americans certainly made a statement in the first Olympics that allowed professionals to compete. In 2010, the five-time champion and the rest of the squad were inducted into the Hall of Fame as a team.

Shaquille O’Neal— USA (Atlanta 1996)
A free agent in the buildup to the 1996 Games, Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Lakers just two days before the tournament tipped off.

The 24-year-old joined a roster featuring five members of the Dream Team — Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Pippen and Robinson — and four more future Hall of Famers — Hakeem Olajuwon, Gary Payton, Reggie Miller and Mitch Richmond.

O’Neal, who had earned MVP honors for leading the U.S. to gold at the FIBA World Championship two years before, averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in Atlanta, while picking up two double-doubles. However, he hardly played in the 95-69 gold-medal victory over Serbia and Montenegro — which featured Vlade Divac, who had been traded just weeks before for future Olympian Kobe Bryant.

Of course, O’Neal and Bryant went on to form a dynasty in Los Angeles, winning three championships together. O’Neal —a 2016 Hall of Famer — earned seven of his 15 All-Star honors as a member of the Lakers.

Lamar Odom— USA (Athens 2004)
Despite a loaded roster that featured Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, the 2004 U.S. National Team has been deemed by many as the country’s biggest basketball disappointment.

The team also included Lamar Odom, whom the Lakers acquired from Miami in a trade for O’Neal earlier that summer. Odom averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, but the Americans went just 5-3, lost by 19 in the opener against Puerto Rico and left Greece with only a bronze medal to show.

Still, Odom delivered his country gold six years later by leading the U.S. in rebounding during its championship run at the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Istanbul. He also enjoyed a successful tenure with the Lakers, winning two titles and the 2011 Sixth Man of the Year award.

Sun Yue — China (Beijing 2008)
Days after signing with the Lakers, Sun Yue faced his future teammate, Bryant, in his first game of the 2008 Olympics. The Americans won handily, as Sun and China went on to finish with a 2-4 record.

Sun averaged 6.8 points for a team that featured fellow NBA players Yao Ming (19.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Yi Jianlian (9.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg). Sun later played for China at the London 2012 Olympics and helped his country to pairs of gold medals at both the FIBA Asia Championship and the Asian Games.

Prior to joining the Lakers, Sun spent six years with the aptly named Beijing Olympians. His NBA career was brief, making only 10 appearances for Los Angeles in 2008-09, and he returned to the Olympians until the team disbanded in 2013. He currently plays for the Beijing Ducks, which he has helped to two CBA titles.

Pau Gasol — Spain (Beijing 2008)
With Pau Gasol paving the way, Spain pushed the United States to the verge of defeat in Beijing. Gasol scored 21 points in the gold-medal game, helping trim the Americans’ lead to just one in the fourth quarter. However, led by Bryant, the U.S. managed to survive with a 118-107 victory.

Gasol was one of the most dominant players in China, leading the entire field in scoring (19.6), while ranking fifth in both rebounding (7.0) and blocks (1.1). With brother Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon and Rudy Fernandez in tow, Pau helped Spain to a 6-2 record, with its only losses coming from the USA.

Gasol put on a few shows en route to a silver medal, dropping 31 points against Angola and recording a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double versus Croatia.

Kobe Bryant — USA (Beijing 2008)
With eight minutes left and a gold medal on the line, the United States led Spain by only two points. Then, reigning MVP Kobe Bryant took over.

He scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter alone, leaving the Spaniards with no answer for his twisting drives or 3-point swishes. Toward the end of the game, he even completed a four-point play and famously put his finger to his lips, symbolically quieting Spain’s rally.

Years later, Mike Krzyzewski said that, if it weren’t for Bryant’s clutch performance, he wouldn’t have remained coach of the national team after Beijing. Coming off of a bronze finish in Athens, anything less than gold would have been a disappointment for the Redeem Team, which returned James and Anthony, while adding superstars like Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul.

Bryant added six assists in the 118-107 win over Spain and also contributed steadily over the course of the tournament, averaging 15.0 points and 2.1 assists. He also led all players with 25 points in a quarterfinals win over Australia.

The Americans crushed their opponents by an average of 27.9 points on their way to the title. For Bryant, who lost in the NBA Finals just two months before, it was an opportunity to start adding some hardware before winning the next two championships.

For the second straight Olympics, Pau Gasol powered his team to the gold-medal match and, once again, dominated on the way there. Gasol ranked fourth among all players in scoring (19.1), sixth in rebounds (7.6) and seventh in blocks (1.1), while also leading Spain in assists (2.9).

This time around, he had an arguably better supporting cast that returned Marc Gasol and Calderon, while adding Serge Ibaka and Victor Claver.

Pau stood out among the stars, notching three double-doubles, including in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. He shined with gold on the line as well, tallying 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, though the Spaniards once again fell to the U.S., 107-100.

By this time, Gasol had already asserted himself as a star on the Lakers, having won two championships and earned three of his six All-Star honors in Los Angeles.

Gasol also made his case as the greatest player in his national team’s history, having led his country to back-to-back Olympic silver medals, in addition to three EuroBasket golds and one FIBA World Cup title. Four years later, he helped Spain to bronze at the Rio Games by ranking fourth in scoring (19.5) and leading all players in rebounds (8.9).

Kobe Bryant — USA (London 2012)
At 34 years old, Kobe Bryant found himself the elder statesman in 2012 and made sure to give his teammates some shine by saying that this edition of the U.S. National Team could have defeated the 1992 Dream Team.

It certainly had little trouble beating its Olympic competition, going 8-0 with a 32.1-point margin of victory. Bryant stepped back and let the younger Americans — like James, Anthony, Paul, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook — into the spotlight, as the U.S. trailed only once in the fourth quarter of any game.

Bryant averaged only 9.0 points during pool play but stepped up in the knockout stages, starting by leading his team with 20 points in a 119-86 quarterfinals win over Australia. Despite going scoreless in the first half, the Laker reached his total by knocking down six 3-pointers in a row.

He also provided 11 of his 13 points in the first quarter of a semifinals rout over Argentina and scored 17 to help the U.S. capture gold with a 107-100 victory in a rematch with Spain.

Jose Calderon — Spain (Rio de Janeiro 2016)
One month after being traded to the Lakers, Jose Calderon played in his fourth Olympics for the Spanish National Team and left Rio with a bronze medal. The 34-year-old rarely came off the bench, averaging 2.2 points and 0.6 assists in only 5.1 minutes per game.

Calderon's top performance was a six-point effort in Spain's win over Argentina, and he didn't suit up for a semifinals loss to Team USA or a bronze victory over Australia. This latest medal made his trophy case a bit more crowded, as he was key in Spain's run to silver in both 2008 and 2012. He also helped his team to gold at the 2006 World Championship and 2011 European Championship.

Marcelo Huertas — Brazil (Rio de Janeiro 2016)
Sao Paulo’s Marcelo Huertas did about all he could for the host nation at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, averaging 6.6 assists — the third-most of any player at the tournament. "Marcelinho" saved his best effort for the end, briefly delaying his team's elimination by racking up 12 points and 11 assists in its victory in the finale over Nigeria. However, his individual success did not always translate into victories, as Brazil went 2-3, dropping two games in the final minutes.

As captain, Huertas did come through in Brazil's upset over No. 2 Spain, tallying 11 points and seven assists — both of which were team-highs. In the Nigeria game, he scored 10 points in the final six minutes to keep his side alive until it was knocked out via tiebreakers later in the day.

Huertas also represented Brazil in London at the 2012 Games, where he averaged 11.3 points and 6.0 assists. In the past, he helped his country to two gold medals at the FIBA Americas Championship, plus one apiece at the Pan American Games and South American Championship.

Honorable Mention:Mitch Kupchak — USA (1976 Montreal)
Twenty-four years before he took over as general manager of the Lakers, Mitch Kupchak donned red, white and blue and came home with gold. Kupchak averaged 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for an American team that went 7-0 behind Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley, who led the way with 19.3 points per game.

Kupchak stepped up in the final round, scoring 14 points to help deliver a 95-74 win over Yugoslavia. He followed his time in Montreal by winning the title in 1978 with the Washington Bullets and in 1985 with the Lakers. As L.A.’s GM, he has guided the construction of four championship-winning rosters.

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