Slava Medvedenko, a member of two Los Angeles Lakers championship teams in the early 2000s, recently auctioned off his prized title rings to aid victims of the ongoing war in his native Ukraine.
For many new Lakers fans, Medvedenko may be an unfamiliar name. However, the seven-year NBA veteran was on two of the best rosters the legendary franchise has had over the last 20 years. Those being the squads that took home championships in 2001 and 2002.
Those were the groups that featured the Hall of Fame combo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, as well as memorable rotation talents like Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry, Derek Fisher, and Rick Fox. They were two of the three squads that won consecutive titles and were a classic Lakers dynasty.
The championship rings given to each player on the roster are a pair of iconic pieces of memorabilia that could garner some serious money from wealthy NBA aficionados. Well, Medvedenko used that value to try and help his countryman in need this week.
