Los Angeles Lakers: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

8. Brook Lopez revenge game

Brook Lopez is one of the league’s most forgotten players. Ask an NBA fan — casual or devoted — to list the best centers of the past 10 years, and they may list 25 before listing Brook Lopez. Even so, only two centers have scored more than Lopez over the past decade — Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins, both perennial All-Stars.

Lopez has averaged more than 20 points per game four different times, and yet has appeared in just one All-Star Game: 2013, as an injury replacement to Rajon Rondo. Lopez is not even the most popular player from his own family, as his twin-brother Robin has become a fan favorite for his mascot-hating antics.

Yet for all of the disrespect, Lopez has continued to improve his game, adding a 3-point shot to keep himself relevant. That was on display for the Lakers this season, his first year away from Brooklyn, as he has averaged 13 points and 1.5 3-pointers per game.

Lopez turned on the jets in his first game against his former team, making the cliche “revenge game” a reality. Lopez poured in 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 from deep. He also added 10 rebounds, two assists and three steals in less than 31 minutes. The Lakers came away with the 124-112 victory.

This was a gap year for Lopez, where he bided his time on a team that didn’t need him, but also respected his presence. This summer Lopez will hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, and hopes to prove that centers can be relevant — even those that have been overlooked their entire career. As exhibit A, he will show them game tape of his decimation of the Nets.