Stanislav Medvedenko

Stanislav "Slava" Medvedenko (Ukrainian: Станіслав "Слава" Медведенко, born April 4, 1979) is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player, who last played with the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association. His position was power forward.\n', '

Medvedenko, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, is known for his shoot-first mentality. His shooting technique and skill have never been in doubt, but his work ethic and defense were far behind his offensive skills in his early career (much to the ire of sports commentators, especially Stephen A. Smith).\n', '

The 2003–04 season was his breakout year, as Karl Malone injured his knee and Medvedenko started the majority of games. As such, his scoring and rebounding averages doubled and he was no longer seen as a liability in the fans\' eyes. Unfortunately, an injury kept him out of the 2004 pre-se…