JaRon Rush
JaRon Rush | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 12, 1979 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, coach |
| Years active | 1998–2002 (player) |
| Known for | Collegiate basketball at UCLA; professional career in ABA and NBA D-League |
JaRon Maurice Rush (born April 12, 1979) is a former American basketball player who has transitioned into a professional coaching career. Originating from Kansas City, Missouri, he played the position of small forward and competed at the collegiate level for the UCLA Bruins. Despite entering the 2000 NBA draft, he was not selected. Subsequently, Rush spent two seasons playing professionally with the Los Angeles Stars in the ABA and later with the Roanoke Dazzle in the NBA Development League (D-League).
Career
During his tenure at the University of California, Los Angeles, Rush earned recognition alongside Dan Gadzuric as the most valuable freshmen on their team in 1999. Additionally, he secured a spot on the Pacific-10 Conference All-Freshman squad. In his sophomore season, he made a decisive jump shot with only three seconds left to clinch a 94–93 overtime victory against the top-ranked Stanford. Anticipating a first-round pick, Rush declared for the 2000 NBA draft but was ultimately not drafted. The Los Angeles Daily News later described him as "UCLA's poster child for an ill-advised exit."
In 2000, Rush was selected by the Kansas City Knights in the ABA draft but was traded prior to the season to the Los Angeles Stars, where he competed throughout the 2000–2001 campaign. He entered treatment for alcoholism in 2001 and was released by the Seattle SuperSonics during their training camp that year. Rush appeared in 14 games with the Roanoke Dazzle of the D-League, averaging 1.8 points per game before being let go in December 2001. Early in 2002, he briefly joined the Knights' practice roster but was dismissed due to missed practices. Following another period of rehabilitation, Rush decided to conclude his professional basketball career that same year.
After retiring from playing, Rush took on a coaching role for a freshman girls B-team at Blue Valley Northwest High School in 2006 and simultaneously worked at a public relations agency while completing his college education in 2007.
At The Pembroke Hill School, where he attended high school, Rush led his team to three state championship victories; however, these titles were revoked following an investigation into payments made by an AAU coach involving several players—though neither JaRon nor his brother Kareem Rush were implicated. Throughout his high school years, he received the James A. DiRenna Award multiple times as Kansas City's top basketball player. Notably, his final high school highlight was a windmill dunk that shattered the backboard.
Personal
Rush's younger siblings, Kareem and Brandon, have also pursued careers as professional basketball athletes. He shares a son named Shea with former partner Sarah Hofstra; Shea was born during JaRon's senior year of high school. In 2013, Shea began playing basketball as a freshman at The Barstow School in Kansas City. Residing in Kansas City himself, Rush maintains regular contact with his son, with both sharing a strong enthusiasm for basketball. In 2016, Shea committed to play collegiate basketball for North Carolina under coach Roy Williams.