Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant to Be Enshrined in Hall of Fame a Second Time

Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant will be posthumously enshrined in the Hall of Fame for a second time on Saturday.

The 18-time All-Star shooting guard, who was honored among the Class of 2020 after perishing in a tragic Calabasas helicopter accident in January of that year, will be making the grade this weekend as a member of the gold medal-winning 2008 U.S. men's Olympic "Redeem Team" in Beijing.

Bryant, then 29, was the de facto veteran leader of one of the most loaded rosters in basketball history — which, for the Olympics, is saying something. The then-reigning MVP numbered among the more seasoned players in that stacked group.

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Dwyane Wade may have been the team's leading scorer, but he did that scoring off the bench, with Bryant leading the action as the team's starting shooting guard.

Beyond Wade and Bryant, the Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers on the team also included current Lakers All-Star LeBron James, former Lakers champion Dwight Howard (a double inductee on Saturday, as he'll be honored for his individual achievements), ex-Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony (also a double inductee), former Lakers champion assistant coach Jason Kidd (who made the Hall of Fame as a player), point guard Chris Paul, power forward Chris Bosh.

The group was rounded out by All-Stars Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Michael Redd, plus four-time All-Defensive Team forward Tayshaun Prince.

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“We kind of say a little bit of the ’08 team is a little bit of a North Star for us,” Sean Ford, current national director for the USA Basketball men's team, reflected, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It got us guided back on the right ship in the right direction, and we’re still on that direction and a lot of it goes back to that.”

After a mismatched Team USA club had to settle for the bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics for the first time since the NBA allowed pros to compete in 1992, the organization got a total overhaul. Jerry Colangelo was brought in to build out a proper team, and then-Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski guided the club from the sidelines, replacing '04 coach Larry Brown. Bryant would go on to win gold with the 2012 Olympic team as well.

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