Kareem Rush
Kareem Rush | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1980 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2002–2014 |
| Known for | NBA player for Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers |
Kareem Lamar Rush (born October 30, 1980) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who played for five different National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises between 2002 and 2010, in addition to competing in both domestic and international leagues. His younger sibling, Brandon Rush, most recently was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, while his older brother JaRon Rush played collegiate basketball at UCLA.
College career
Following his graduation from Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Rush enrolled at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he emerged as a prominent guard. During his junior year, he averaged 19.8 points per game and helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Western Regional finals before being defeated by Oklahoma. As a sophomore in the 2000–01 season, he topped the Big 12 scoring charts with an average of 21.1 points per game. Throughout his college years, Rush worked with esteemed conditioning coach Istvan Javorek.
Los Angeles Lakers (2002–2004)
Rush declared for the 2002 NBA draft following his junior year and was picked 20th overall by the Toronto Raptors, who promptly traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers. Although initially projected as a top-10 selection, he fell in the draft similar to his brother JaRon, who went undrafted in 2000.
In his first two NBA seasons, Rush served primarily as a reserve behind stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Nevertheless, his proficiency from beyond the arc earned him increased playing time during the 2003–2004 playoffs under coach Phil Jackson. Despite the Lakers falling short in the 2004 NBA Finals, Rush proved himself a dependable three-point shooter, averaging around 14 minutes per game and converting 40% of his three-point attempts. A highlight came in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he tallied 18 points—all from three-point shots.
Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2006)
At the outset of the 2004–05 NBA season, Rush was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for two future second-round draft selections. In Charlotte, he assumed a more significant role, frequently starting and averaging over 25 minutes and 11.5 points per contest. He set a franchise record at that time by scoring 35 points against the Indiana Pacers. His season was cut short on March 2 due to an MCL injury sustained during a game in New Orleans.
Seattle SuperSonics (2006)
During the offseason before the 2006–07 NBA season, Rush signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, but a groin injury hampered his progress. The team released him in November 2006 to create roster space for players covering frontcourt injuries.
Lithuania (2006–2007)
Rush spent the 2006–2007 campaign in Lithuania after signing on December 21, 2006, with ULEB Cup competitor Lietuvos rytas based in Vilnius. Coached by Zmago Sagadin, he guided the squad to the cup final and earned MVP honors at the 2007 LKL All-Star Game held on February 24, 2007. On April 21, Rush's team secured the title of the Baltic Basketball League championship, with him being named Final Four MVP.
Indiana Pacers (2007–2008)
On July 3, 2007, Rush inked a deal with the Indiana Pacers, who aimed to enhance their lineup by adding his shooting expertise.
Philadelphia 76ers (2008–2009)
Rush continued his NBA journey by signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 28, 2008, under a new contract.
Los Angeles Clippers (2009–2010)
Amidst a spate of injuries on their roster, the Los Angeles Clippers brought Rush on board. Unfortunately, on November 18, 2009, he sustained a torn ACL in his right knee, an injury that effectively ended his NBA career. This occurred shortly after he played less than two minutes in what would be his final game on November 17, 2009. The Clippers released Rush on January 22, 2010.
Los Angeles D-Fenders (2012)
Rush made a professional basketball comeback when the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League acquired him on March 12, 2012.
Los Angeles Slam (2012–2013)
During the 2012–13 season, Rush competed with the Los Angeles Slam in the ABA.
Los Angeles D-Fenders (2013–2014)
Rush returned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders in November 2013 but departed from the team on January 22, 2014, to officially retire from professional basketball.
BIG3 Basketball (2017)
In 2017, Rush participated in the BIG3 league as a member of the 3 Headed Monsters, coached by NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton. His teammates included prominent players such as Kwame Brown, Rashard Lewis, Jason Williams, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
North American Premier Basketball (2018–present)
Rush signed with the Kansas City Tornados in January 2018 during the inaugural campaign of North American Premier Basketball.
Regular season
|- | align="left" | | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 76 || 0 || 11.5 || .393 || .279 || .696 || 1.2 || .9 || .1 || .1 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 72 || 15 || 17.3 || .440 || .348 || .596 || 1.3 || .8 || .5 || .3 || 6.4 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 14 || 0 || 6.5 || .200 || .200 || 1.000 || .7 || .2 || .1 || .1 || .9 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Charlotte | 34 || 22 || 25.8 || .396 || .386 || .761 || 2.3 || 1.9 || .5 || .2 || 11.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Charlotte | 47 || 25 || 23.6 || .386 || .348 || .714 || 2.2 || 1.1 || .8 || .3 || 10.1 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Indiana | 71 || 15 || 21.2 || .401 || .389 || .714 || 2.4 || 1.3 || .6 || .3 || 8.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Philadelphia | 25 || 1 || 8.0 || .345 || .303 || 1.000|| .6|| .6|| .2|| .0|| 2.2 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | L.A. Clippers |7||0||8.3||.364||.333||.000||.9||.6||.3||0.4||1.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |346||78||17.2||.400||.358||.703||1.7||1.0||0.4||0.2||6.4
Playoffs
|- | align="left" | 2003 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 9 || 0 || 7.1 || .379 || .364 || 1.000 || .3 || .2 || .1 || .0 || 3.3 |- | align="left" | 2004 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 22 || 0 || 14.3 || .385 || .400 || .667 || .7 || .8 || .5 || .1 || 3.7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 31 || 0 || 12.2 || .383 || .393 || .857 || .6 || .6 || .4 || .1 || 3.6
Personal life
Kareem Rush's younger sibling, Brandon Rush, also competed professionally in the NBA.
In 2010, Rush ventured into the R&B music scene with the release of his first single titled "Hold You Down."