Kareem Rush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kareem Rush

Rush with the Clippers in October 2009
Personal information
Born	(1980-10-30) October 30, 1980 (age 44) Kansas City, Missouri
Nationality	American
High school	Pembroke Hill (Kansas City, Missouri)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Missouri (1999–2002)
NBA Draft	2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall
Selected by the Toronto Raptors
Pro career	2002–2018
Career history
2002–2004	Los Angeles Lakers
2004–2006	Charlotte Bobcats
2006–2007	Lietuvos rytas
2007–2008	Indiana Pacers
2008–2009	Philadelphia 76ers
2009–2010	Los Angeles Clippers
2012	Los Angeles D-Fenders
2012–2013	Los Angeles Slam
2013–2014	Los Angeles D-Fenders
2018	Kansas City Tornados
Career highlights and awards
LKL All-Star (2007) LKL All-Star Game Co-MVP (2007) Baltic Basketball League champion (2007) Baltic Basketball League Final Four MVP (2007) Fourth-team Parade All-American (1999)
Career NBA statistics
Points	2,213 (6.4 ppg)
Rebounds	572 (1.7 rpg)
Assists	353 (1.0 apg)

Kareem Lamar Rush (born October 30, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for five different teams in the NBA between 2002 and 2010. He also played in other basketball leagues in the U.S. and in other countries.

Kareem comes from a basketball family. His younger brother, Brandon Rush, also played in the NBA. His older brother, JaRon Rush, played college basketball for UCLA.

College Basketball Career

After finishing high school at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Kareem Rush went to the University of Missouri. There, he became a very good guard on the school's basketball team.

In his junior year, Kareem scored an average of 19.8 points per game. He helped lead his team, the Missouri Tigers, to the Western Regional finals in the NCAA tournament. This is a big championship for college basketball teams. As a sophomore, he led the Big 12 conference in scoring, averaging 21.1 points per game.

Professional Basketball Journey

Kareem Rush playing for the Charlotte Bobcats.

Kareem Rush decided to enter the 2002 NBA draft after his junior year of college. He was chosen as the 20th pick overall by the Toronto Raptors. However, the Raptors immediately traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2002–2004)

During his first two seasons with the Lakers, Kareem played a smaller role. He was a backup player on a team that included famous players like Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

However, Kareem was very good at shooting three-point shots. Because of this, he started playing more often in the 2003–2004 playoffs. Even though the Lakers lost in the 2004 NBA Finals that year, Kareem became known as a great shooter. He played about 14 minutes per game and made 40% of his three-point shots during the playoffs. He was a key player in helping the Lakers win the Western Conference Finals. In the final game of that series, he scored 18 points, all from three-point shots!

Joining the Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2006)

After 14 games into the 2004–05 season, the Lakers traded Kareem Rush to the Charlotte Bobcats. With the Bobcats, Kareem got to play a much bigger role. He often started games and played more than 25 minutes, averaging 11.5 points per game. He even set a record for the Bobcats by scoring 35 points in one game against the Indiana Pacers.

Playing in Lithuania (2006–2007)

After his time with the Bobcats, Kareem spent a season playing basketball in Lithuania. He joined a team called BC Lietuvos rytas in December 2006. He helped his team reach the cup final.

Kareem was recognized for his great play in Lithuania. In February 2007, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the LKL All-Star Game. In April, his team won the Baltic Basketball League championship, and Kareem was named the Final Four MVP.

Back in the NBA (2007–2010)

Kareem Rush returned to the NBA in July 2007, signing with the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers wanted him because they needed a good shooter.

In July 2008, he signed a deal to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Later, Kareem joined the Los Angeles Clippers. However, he suffered a serious injury to his right knee in November 2009. This injury, called an ACL tear, unfortunately ended his NBA career. His last NBA game was on November 17, 2009.

Later Basketball Leagues (2012–2018)

After his NBA career, Kareem Rush continued to play basketball in other leagues. In March 2012, he joined the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA D-League (now called the G-League).

For the 2012–13 season, Kareem played for the Los Angeles Slam in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He later returned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders in November 2013.

In 2017, Kareem joined the BIG3 basketball league. This league features many former NBA players. He played on a strong team called 3 Headed Monsters. His teammates included famous players like Kwame Brown, Rashard Lewis, and Jason Williams. The team was coached by NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton.

In January 2018, Kareem signed with the Kansas City Tornados in the North American Premier Basketball league.

NBA Career Statistics

Here are some of Kareem Rush's statistics from his time in the NBA. These numbers show how well he played in different areas of the game.

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Personal Life

As mentioned, Kareem's younger brother Brandon Rush also played in the NBA.

In 2010, Kareem Rush started a singing career in R&B music. He released his first song called "Hold You Down."

See also

In Spanish: Kareem Rush para niños