Through the Phog
Fansided

Ranking the 25 best Kansas basketball NBA careers of all-time

By Joshua Schulman

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 04: Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden attend the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 04: Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden attend the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Kansas basketball
Brandon Rush #25 of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Brandon Rush. 21. player. 462. . SG. Jayhawks

Career statistics: 481 games, 6.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 42.6% FG

Indiana Pacers, 2008-2011
Golden State Warriors, 2011-2013
Utah Jazz, 2013-2014
Golden State Warriors, 2014-2016
Minnesota Timberwolves, 2016-2017

Rush, a Kansas City native, became a revered figure in Lawrence after leading the Jayhawks to a championship in 2008. The Portland Trail Blazers took him with the 13th selection of that same year’s NBA Draft, yet he was a draft day trade to the Indiana Pacers.

To be a role player in the NBA, you have to excel in specific aspects of the game — and Rush did just that. He couldn’t score as consistently as he did at the college level, but if there was one thing he could do, it was shoot the basketball. Rush made a living off his lifetime 40.2 percent three-point percentage.

Rush had a career year in his sophomore NBA season with Indiana. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 64 starts, all career highs. Several years later, Rush won an NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors and even played 72 games on the team that went 73-9 in the regular season. During his time in the league, Rush was one of the best 3-and-D specialists, making him a valuable asset to whoever carried him on their roster.

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