Kurt Rambis
Encyclopedia
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA
's Minnesota Timberwolves
.
, California
, where he grew up in the Fairgrove 'Eichler
' neighborhood; his number is retired at Cupertino High School
. He graduated from Santa Clara University
, where he played from 1976 to 1980, becoming its second leading rebounder and all-time leading scorer with 1,736 points. During his Santa Clara years he was awarded the WCC Freshman of the Year and Conference Player of the Year as a senior. His jersey #34 was retired on December 29, 2008.
as the 58th pick in the 1980 NBA Draft
, but he was subsequently waived by the Knicks before playing in Greece, where he also holds citizenship. There he joined the Greek League
club AEK Athens
, under the name Kyriakos Rambidis, and he won the Greek Cup
in 1981.
He was re-signed by the Knicks in 1981 but never played a game for them. His success as an NBA player started when he was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Lakers
in 1981. Rambis spent most of his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, winning championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Rambis also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns
and Sacramento Kings
before returning to the Lakers in 1993.
During his playing days, Rambis was a favorite among the Lakers
fans because of his status as an over-achieving underdog and ultimate team-player. Known for his defensive and rebounding skills, Rambis also was an efficient clean-up man on offense, with his field goal percentage reaching 59.5% at the peak of his career. He was remembered in both Santa Clara and Los Angeles for his all-out effort and willingness to do the "dirty work" that many players do not embrace. Rambis usually wore a thick moustache
and thick-rimmed black glasses
, prompting Lakers announcer Chick Hearn
to nickname him "Superman
" (in reference to the character's alter ego, Clark Kent
). He finally retired with the Lakers in 1995 after 14 years in the NBA.
franchise during the 1999 "lockout season" after coach Del Harris
was fired. He achieved moderate success, registering a 24-13 record in the regular season before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs
in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals. When Phil Jackson
was hired as head coach, Rambis served as the Lakers' assistant general manager. He later became an assistant coach under Jackson between 2001 and 2004, helping the Lakers reach the 2002
and the 2004 NBA Finals
, with Los Angeles winning a title in the former series. He was hired again by Jackson a few years later, along with former player Brian Shaw, as an assistant coach, helping the Lakers to another pair of finals in 2008
and 2009
, winning in the latter attempt.
coaching job. He was a finalist again in 2009 to coach the Kings, and after serious discussions, he was offered the job, but he wanted more than a two-year contract and more money than was offered, so he turned the team down.
On August 8, 2009, Rambis was announced as the new head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves
, agreeing to a contract believed to be worth 4 years and $8 million. Rambis succeeded Kevin McHale
, infamous for taking him down in Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals
.
On July 12, 2011, Rambis was fired as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves after compiling a 32-132 record in two seasons with the team.
. He also guest-starred in season one of Sweet Valley High in episode thirteen "Club X" as a friend of Elizabeth. Rambis made a cameo guest appearance in season 8 of the hit show Married With Children, and also appeared in the 'Going Places' episode (as himself) of It's Garry Shandling's Show
. Rambis is also mentioned in the songs "Blao!" by rapper Hot Karl and "Mayor" by Pac Div. In "Blao!", the line states "I'm wearing the goggles that Kurt Rambis used to sport." The song was featured on NBA Live 2003
. In "Mayor", the line states "your boy hustle hard like Rambis for the Lakers."
| align="left" |LAL
| align="left" |
|37||24||13||.648|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||8||3||5||.375
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |MIN
| align="left" |
|82||15||67||.183|| align="center" |5th in Northwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MIN
| align="left" |
|82||17||65||.207|| align="center" |5th in Northwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||201||56||145||.279|| ||8||3||5||.375
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
.
Biography
Rambis was born in CupertinoCupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he grew up in the Fairgrove 'Eichler
Joseph Eichler
Joseph Eichler was a 20th century post-war U.S. American real estate developer known for developing distinctive residential subdivisions of Mid-Century modern style Tract housing in California, United States. He was one of the influential advocates of bringing modern architecture from custom...
' neighborhood; his number is retired at Cupertino High School
Cupertino High School
Cupertino High School, colloquially referred to as "Tino", is a four-year comprehensive public high school located near the Rancho Rinconada and Fairgrove neighborhoods of Cupertino, California, USA. It is part of the Fremont Union High School District. The school serves mostly suburban...
. He graduated from Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, where he played from 1976 to 1980, becoming its second leading rebounder and all-time leading scorer with 1,736 points. During his Santa Clara years he was awarded the WCC Freshman of the Year and Conference Player of the Year as a senior. His jersey #34 was retired on December 29, 2008.
NBA years (1980-1995)
Rambis was drafted by the New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
as the 58th pick in the 1980 NBA Draft
1980 NBA Draft
The 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, but he was subsequently waived by the Knicks before playing in Greece, where he also holds citizenship. There he joined the Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
club AEK Athens
AEK Athens BC
AEK BC , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek professional sports basketball club based in Athens, Greece. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War ....
, under the name Kyriakos Rambidis, and he won the Greek Cup
Greek basketball Cup
The Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
in 1981.
He was re-signed by the Knicks in 1981 but never played a game for them. His success as an NBA player started when he was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 1981. Rambis spent most of his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, winning championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Rambis also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
and Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
before returning to the Lakers in 1993.
During his playing days, Rambis was a favorite among the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
fans because of his status as an over-achieving underdog and ultimate team-player. Known for his defensive and rebounding skills, Rambis also was an efficient clean-up man on offense, with his field goal percentage reaching 59.5% at the peak of his career. He was remembered in both Santa Clara and Los Angeles for his all-out effort and willingness to do the "dirty work" that many players do not embrace. Rambis usually wore a thick moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
and thick-rimmed black glasses
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
, prompting Lakers announcer Chick Hearn
Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
to nickname him "Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
" (in reference to the character's alter ego, Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
). He finally retired with the Lakers in 1995 after 14 years in the NBA.
Assistant coach for the Lakers (2002-2009)
After retiring from his playing career, he coached the LakersLos Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
franchise during the 1999 "lockout season" after coach Del Harris
Del Harris
Delmer William Harris is a basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He was an assistant coach for the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks...
was fired. He achieved moderate success, registering a 24-13 record in the regular season before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals. When Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
was hired as head coach, Rambis served as the Lakers' assistant general manager. He later became an assistant coach under Jackson between 2001 and 2004, helping the Lakers reach the 2002
2002 NBA Finals
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and two-time defending NBA champions, and the New Jersey Nets, champions of the...
and the 2004 NBA Finals
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
, with Los Angeles winning a title in the former series. He was hired again by Jackson a few years later, along with former player Brian Shaw, as an assistant coach, helping the Lakers to another pair of finals in 2008
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
and 2009
2009 NBA Finals
The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2008-09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending Western Conference champions, and the Orlando Magic, champions of the...
, winning in the latter attempt.
Head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves (2009-2011)
In 2007, Rambis interviewed for the Sacramento KingsSacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
coaching job. He was a finalist again in 2009 to coach the Kings, and after serious discussions, he was offered the job, but he wanted more than a two-year contract and more money than was offered, so he turned the team down.
On August 8, 2009, Rambis was announced as the new head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, agreeing to a contract believed to be worth 4 years and $8 million. Rambis succeeded Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
, infamous for taking him down in Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals
1984 NBA Finals
The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111-102. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of...
.
On July 12, 2011, Rambis was fired as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves after compiling a 32-132 record in two seasons with the team.
Outside basketball
Rambis also had a recurring role as Coach Cleary in the family drama 7th Heaven7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
. He also guest-starred in season one of Sweet Valley High in episode thirteen "Club X" as a friend of Elizabeth. Rambis made a cameo guest appearance in season 8 of the hit show Married With Children, and also appeared in the 'Going Places' episode (as himself) of It's Garry Shandling's Show
It's Garry Shandling's Show
It's Garry Shandling's Show is an American sitcom which was initially broadcast on Showtime from 1986 to 1990. It was created by Garry Shandling and Alan Zweibel. The show is notable for its frequent use of breaking the fourth wall to allow characters to speak directly to the audience...
. Rambis is also mentioned in the songs "Blao!" by rapper Hot Karl and "Mayor" by Pac Div. In "Blao!", the line states "I'm wearing the goggles that Kurt Rambis used to sport." The song was featured on NBA Live 2003
NBA Live series
The NBA Elite is series of basketball video games, published by EA Sports. There has not been any entry in the series on a home console since 2009. In November 2010, development of the franchise was moved from EA Canada studio to Florida-based Tiburon studio...
. In "Mayor", the line states "your boy hustle hard like Rambis for the Lakers."
Coaching record
|-| align="left" |LAL
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|37||24||13||.648|| align="center" |2nd in Pacific||8||3||5||.375
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
|-
| align="left" |MIN
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
| align="left" |
|82||15||67||.183|| align="center" |5th in Northwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MIN
| align="left" |
|82||17||65||.207|| align="center" |5th in Northwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||201||56||145||.279|| ||8||3||5||.375