Where Are They Now: Stanislav Medvedenko

Stanislav "Slava" Medvendenko played with the Lakers for from 2000-2006 averaging 4.47 ppg and just over 2 rebounds per game. During his time with the Lakers, he was widely known for his infuriating desire to shoot every time he touched the ball, and his ability to agitate Steven A. Smith. In 2006, Slava suffered a herniated disc, forcing him to miss the entire season. In March of that year he was waived by the Lakers in order to make roster space for Jim Jackson.

After his speech at the 2001 Championship parade, Randy Newman sued Slava for copyright infringement (WATCH: HERE). He returned to Ukraine--$16 in his pocket and the shirt on his back-- the 15th richest man in the country and a national hero. The next year, a hard lesson and a little more English learned, he returned to the stage ready to make up for the previous year. The crowed waited anxiously for his turn to speak. The wait was well worth it, as his speech captured a nation (WATCH: HERE). The speeches created a frenzy, and Slava had found his calling.

For the past two years Slava has served as one of Obama's primary speech writers. His speeches are simple, yet deeply profound. In 2007, during some downtime at a campaign stop in Jefferson City, MO, David Axelrod bet him that he could not eat 10 sausages in 3 minutes. Infuriated, Medved responded "Yes we can!" The rest is history.