Lakers News: Former LA Role Player Thriving with International Team Pre-Olympics

This ex-Laker had an outsized impact against Team USA on Saturday.

May 10, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Beasley (5) and forward Wenyen Gabriel (35) during the second half in game five of the 2023 NBA playoffs conference semifinals round at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Power forward Wenyen Gabriel played a key reserve role for the Los Angeles Lakers in part of the 2021-22 season and the entirety of 2022-23. He is now with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The journeyman big made quite the impression on his old Lakers colleagues when he almost poured in the winning putback against USA Basketball during a friendly pre-Olympics warm-up game on Saturday. Playing for his native South Sudan, the 6-foot-9 Gabriel wound up finishing with 11 points and six rebounds in a last-second 101-100 loss. Team South Sudan had, stunningly, led by as many as 16 points earlier in the game.

Gabriel's former All-Star Lakers teammate LeBron James wound up supplying the winning bucket, while his other former All-Star Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, sealed Gabriel off in the post to prevent his putback.

According to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops, Gabriel is overjoyed to play for South Sudan, just 13 years after it became a country in separating from Sudan.

“I’m happy we were able to represent our country. A lot of people around the world don’t know what South Sudan was, but today we were able to represent our country with pride, put up a good fight, and show them the potential of our country. It was a proud moment for a lot of people. Obviously, we wanted to win, we played really well and I’m really proud of my teammates, the heart we showed, the dedication, and trying to put respect on our name, and to get our country respected,” Gabriel said.

"A lot of people around the world don’t know what South Sudan was, but today we were able to represent our country with pride, put up a good fight, and show them the potential of our country,” Gabriel said. “It was a proud moment for a lot of people. Obviously, we wanted to win, we played really well and I’m really proud of my teammates, the heart we showed, the dedication, and trying to put respect on our name, and to get our country respected.”

Gabriel, a Kentucky product, appeared in 150 regular season NBA games from 2019-24 overall (eight starts), averaging 4.4 points on 52.4 percent shooting from the field, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. He is optimistic that a next generation of South Sudanese NBA-caliber players could emerge soon.

“There are some tall kids back in the village, I remember I came back home to South Sudan to visit them, and they didn’t have any opportunities,” he added. “Seven feet tall and they’re herding cows. Some people around the world don’t have the opportunity to play basketball for a living, to go shoot hoops, to go fish for food, do different things to survive. Today was an example and something to bring us together.”

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