2x Lakers champ Slava Medvedenko -- Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's former teammate in Los Angeles -- is doing everything in his power to protect his home country of Ukraine against Russian forces ... including picking up an AK-47.
Medvedenko, who spent 7 seasons in the NBA and won two championships ('01,'02) with Mamba in L.A., grew up in Ukraine and took up arms to help defend his country.
The 43-year-old has been involved in the war almost since the first day Vladimir Putin ordered his military to invade the sovereign country .