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 Rambis as head coach of the Timberwolves in March 2011 | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Senior basketball advisor |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1958-02-25)February 25, 1958 (age 67) Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Greek |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 213 lb (97 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Cupertino (Cupertino, California) |
| College | Santa Clara (1976–1980) |
| NBA draft | 1980: 3rd round, 58th overall pick |
| Selected by theNew York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 1980–1995 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 31, 30, 18 |
| Coaching career | 1994–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1980–1981 | AEK Athens |
| 1981–1988 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988–1989 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 1989–1991 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1991–1993 | Sacramento Kings |
| 1993–1995 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| As coach: | |
| 1994–1999 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 1999 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2001–2004; 2005–2009 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2009–2011 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2013–2014 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2014–2016 | New York Knicks (associate HC) |
| 2016 | New York Knicks (interim) |
| 2016–2018 | New York Knicks (associate HC) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As assistant coach: As executive: | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,603 (5.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,961 (5.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 931 (1.1 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Darrell Kurt Rambis (Greek:Κυριάκος Ραμπίδης,romanized: Kyriakos Rambidis;[1][2] born February 25, 1958) is a Greek-American former professionalbasketball player and coach who is a senior basketball adviser for theLos Angeles Lakers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won fourNBA championships while playingpower forward for the Lakers. Rambis was a key member of theShowtime era Lakers and was extremely popular[3] for his hard-nosed blue collar play.[4] With his trademark black horn-rimmed glasses, Rambis complemented the flashy Hollywood style of the Showtime era Lakers.[3]
Rambis playedcollege basketball for theSanta Clara Broncos. As a senior in 1980, he was named theplayer of the year in theWest Coast Conference (WCC).[5] Rambis was selected by theNew York Knicks in the third round of the1980 NBA draft, but began his career in Greece withAEK Athens before joining the Lakers.[5] He also played for theCharlotte Hornets,Phoenix Suns, andSacramento Kings. Rambis became a coach and has served as head coach for the Lakers,Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Knicks.[6][7][8] He also won two league championships as an assistant coach with the Lakers.
Rambis was born inTerre Haute, Indiana,[9] into a family ofGreek extraction.[3] His family moved toCupertino, California in his preschool years; his number is retired atCupertino High School.
He graduated fromSanta 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 theWCC Freshman of the Year andConference Player of the Year as a senior. His No. 34 was retired on December 29, 2008.[10]
Rambis was drafted by theNew York Knicks as the 58th pick in the1980 NBA draft, but he was subsequently waived by the Knicks. He played in Greece in theGreek League for the clubAEK Athens, under the name Kyriakos Rambidis.[2] Being of Greek descent,[3] he also acquired Greek citizenship.[2] AEK won theGreek Cup in 1981.
He was re-signed by the Knicks in 1981 but never played a game for them.[11] His success as an NBA player started when he was signed as a free agent by theLos 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 as part of theirShowtime teams.
During his playing days, Rambis was a favorite among theLakers fans because of his status as an overachieving underdog and ultimate team player. Known for his defensive and rebounding skills, he was remembered in Los Angeles for his all-out effort and willingness to do the "dirty work". Rambis usually wore a thickmoustache and thick-rimmed blackglasses, prompting Lakers announcerChick Hearn to nickname him "Superman" (in reference to the character's alter ego,Clark Kent).[12] At the Lakers home arena a "Superman" fan club (also known as Rambis youth) was formed where the courtside spectators wore glasses styled similar to the ones used by Rambis.[13] Lakers head coachPat Riley once complained to a reporter "Other guys have sharp Adidas bags. [Rambis]'s got this black satchel, like the kind you would have a bowling ball in. And it's, like, vinyl. He doesn't ever bring a garment bag or a suitcase. That's all he ever brings, could be a week."[14]
Rambis also played for theCharlotte Hornets,Phoenix Suns, andSacramento Kings before returning to the Lakers for the 1993–94 season. He retired as a player with the Lakers in 1995.
Rambis began working as a special assistant coach for the Lakers in 1994 but eventually returned to the active playing roster in February 1995. He was waived at the beginning of the 1995–96 season and resumed his role as an assistant.[15] He served as head coach of the Lakers during the 1999 "lockout season" after coachDel Harris was fired. He achieved moderate success, registering a 24–13 record in the regular season before being swept by theSan Antonio Spurs in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals. WhenPhil 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 the2002 and the2004 NBA Finals, with Los Angeles winning a title in the former series. He was hired again as an assistant in 2005, along with former playerBrian Shaw,[16] helping the Lakers to another pair of finals in2008 and2009. The Lakers won in the latter attempt.
In 2007, Rambis interviewed for theSacramento Kings' 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 down the job.
On August 8, 2009, Rambis was announced as the new head coach for theMinnesota Timberwolves, agreeing to a contract believed to be for 4 years and worth $8 million. Coinicidentally, Rambis' predecessor as the Timberwolves' head coach wasKevin McHale, who famously clotheslined Rambis in game 4 of the1984 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.[17]
On July 29, 2013, the Lakers announced they had re-hired Rambis as an assistant coach.[18]
On July 7, 2014, the Knicks announced they had hired Rambis to be the assistant head coach of the team under head coachDerek Fisher.[19] On February 8, 2016, Rambis was named the interim head coach after Fisher was fired.[20] After going 9-19 under Rambis, and finishing the season 32–50 overall, the Knicks decided to hireJeff Hornacek as the team's new head coach, while Rambis was retained as associate head coach. On April 12, 2018, Rambis was fired along with Hornacek, who went 60–104 over two seasons with the Knicks.[21]
In September 2018, Rambis rejoined the Lakers as a senior basketball adviser.[22][23] Rambis has become "one of the most influential members of the organization since returning to the franchise in 2017."[24] Kurt Rambis's wife, Linda Rambis, serves as the Lakers Executive Director of Special Projects and is one ofJeanie Buss's longtime friends. AlongsideRob Pelinka, the couple has been described as "a pillar of the club’s four-pronged brain trust alongside [Jeanie] Buss."[25]
Rambis had a recurring role as Coach Cleary in the family drama7th Heaven. He also guest-starred in season one ofSweet Valley High in episode thirteen "Club X" as a friend of Elizabeth and an episode ofThe Commish as a basketball player. He appeared in the "Going Places" episode (as himself) ofIt's Garry Shandling's Show. Rambis also made a cameo appearance in an episode ofMalcolm & Eddie.
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L.A. Lakers | 1998–99 | 37 | 24 | 13 | .649 | 2nd in Pacific | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Minnesota | 2009–10 | 82 | 15 | 67 | .183 | 5th in Northwest | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Minnesota | 2010–11 | 82 | 17 | 65 | .207 | 5th in Northwest | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| New York | 2015–16 | 28 | 9 | 19 | .321 | 3rd in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Career | 229 | 65 | 164 | .284 | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 |
and Basketball Reference