Throwback Thursday: Soft-spoken Josh Powell from the 2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers squad

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As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, forward Josh Powell was never really known to be much of a talker but his speed and versatility off the bench helped the Lakers capture gold, back to back in the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 campaigns.

Powell joined the purple and gold on August 14, 2008 and filled in the void that was left by Ronny Turiaf. Initially, the soft-spoken forward did not see to much playing time given the fact that big men like Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom took up most of the time in routine.

When Bynum went down with a devastating injury, Gasol filled in as the enforcer down in the paint but it was clear that  the Lakers were in need of a big who could play step in and solid defense while having the capability to stretch the floor. This was the perfect time for Powell and he had received the opportunity whole-heartedly.

His statistics do not say much as Powell averaged 4.2 ppg 2009 and his numbers took a dip with 2.7 ppg the following year. However, during the stretch in which he actually got to play alongside Gasol and Odom, Powell showed promise in his poise and patience as a player. He never rushed the offense and only took shots when he was the best option. The perfect role player and an easy guy to throw into the offense.

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With the ability to take jump shots and drive off the dribble, Powell was the perfect player for the triangle offense. Although he only stands at 6'9'', he has been reasonably difficult for larger players to guard as they would have to chase him around screens and close out unless, they were up for getting drained on.

After sharing two championship runs with the storied franchise, Powell signed a one year, $1.1 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks and subsequently the San Antonio Spurs a year after before embarking to play overseas.

He has just recently made a return to the NBA by signing with the Houston Rockets.

Josh Powell was not much of a talker, he did not have the athleticism to perform flashy moves, and really did not have a particular characteristic that stuck with fans. The glamor and the awe of Hollywood never got to him.

Powell was just an exceptional basketball player with heart and determination for setting himself up to succeed. He never knew if he would ever get to play with the Lakers but kept himself in game form every day, showing up three hours early to shoot around and workout with what he like the call "the activation," a machine allows him to work on his hops. Powell was an intricate part of the Lakers bench mob and I will always remember his loyalty and faith that he had carried with him every night, wearing that number 21.