Brandon Leray Rush (born July 7, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, before being traded to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...

on draft day, after playing for

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

for three seasons, including the 2008 championship season. He was selected as a Wooden Award All-American in both 2007 and 2008 as a Jayhawk. Rush has also played for the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

, and

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

, winning an

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...

with the Warriors in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

High school career

Rush played high school basketball at Westport High School in Missouri and Mt. Zion Christian Academy in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. With a population of 283,506 in the 2020 Census, Durham is the 4th- ...

. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Rush was listed as the No. 2 small forward and the No. 13 player in the nation in 2005. After withdrawing from the

2005 NBA draft The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players fr ...

, he committed to play collegiately at Kansas under

Bill Self Billy Eugene Self Jr. (born December 27, 1962) is an American basketball coach. He is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, a position he has held since 2003. During his 19 seasons as head coach, he has led the Jayhawks to ...

College career

Rush was the starting small forward in every game that season. He led the Jayhawks in scoring (13.5 points per game), rebounding (5.9) and three-point shooting percentage (47.2%). He was instrumental in the team's Big 12 Conference championship run, and was elected the conference Freshman of the Year. He was also the first freshman ever to be named to the First Team All-Big 12, before

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball f ...

did it the following season for the Texas Longhorns. He was selected as the preseason Co-Player of the Year in the Big 12, along with fellow Jayhawk

Julian Wright Julian Emil-Jamaal Wright (born May 20, 1987) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Kansas. In 2014–15, he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League. High school ...

. He was also selected as a preseason All-American. In 2007, he earned a position on the All-Tournament Team in the Big 12 Tournament. On April 26, 2007, Rush announced his intentions to enter the 2007 NBA draft, but he did not sign with an agent.

Injury

Rush returned to Kansas in May 2007, after tearing the

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formati ...

in his right knee in a pickup game. He had planned to enter the 2007 NBA draft had he not been injured, but returned to play for Kansas. On June 1, 2007, the torn ACL was successfully repaired. After rehabilitation, He returned to play in November, and became a starter soon afterward. On October 27, 2010, it was reported that Rush had, in fact, suffered the ACL injury during an illegal workout conducted by Rodney Heard, director of East Coast scouting for the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

;

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for '' NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Gr ...

, then-president of the Knicks, is said to have known of the secret workouts. Rush verified the allegation, and severe sanctions were expected to be levied against the Knicks organization.

Junior season

After returning to the starting lineup, he led Kansas to a national title in the 2008 NCAA championship. He was named Most Valuable Player in the national semifinal game against

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, with 25 points and 7 rebounds. He was rated number one small forward in all of college basketball by Rivals.com for his overall statistics after being named MVP in the Big 12 Tournament and averaging 15.8 points per game in the six games of the NCAA national championship tournament. On April 17, 2008, he declared himself eligible for the 2008 NBA draft, skipping his senior year. On February 22, 2017, the University of Kansas basketball program retired his jersey, #25.

Professional career

Indiana Pacers (2008–2011)

Rush was selected 13th overall by the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

in the 2008 NBA draft. He was then traded to the

, along with

Jarrett Jack Jarrett Matthew Jack (born October 28, 1983) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended four high schools in ...

and

Josh McRoberts Joshua Scott McRoberts (born February 28, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). McRoberts, a power forward, played college basketball for the Duke Blu ...

, for Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu.

Golden State Warriors (2011–2013)

On December 19, 2011, Rush was traded to the

in exchange for

Louis Amundson Louis Gabriel Amundson ( born December 7, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for UNLV and 12 years professionally, including 10 seasons in the NBA. Early life and college Amundson was born in ...

. On August 1, 2012, Rush re-signed with the Warriors on a two-year, $8 million contract. In a game against the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

on November 2, 2012, Rush injured his left knee landing awkwardly after being fouled in the air by Zach Randolph. An MRI the next day revealed a torn ACL. The extent of the injury ruled him out for the remainder of the 2012–13 season.

Utah Jazz (2013–2014)

On July 10, 2013, Rush was traded, along with

Richard Jefferson Richard Allen Jefferson Jr. (born June 21, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on ESPN. He played college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats. Jefferson was drafted in the first round of the 20 ...

and

Andris Biedriņš Andris Biedriņš (; born April 2, 1986) is a Latvian former professional basketball player. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. Professional career Skonto (2002–2004) Biedriņš's p ...

and several draft picks, to the

in a three-team trade that brought

Andre Iguodala Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and has been named to th ...

and Kevin Murphy to the Warriors.

Second stint with Golden State (2014–2016)

On July 22, 2014, Rush signed a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, returning to the franchise for a second stint. Rush won his first NBA championship with the Warriors after they defeated the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...

in the

2015 NBA Finals The 2015 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Eastern Confer ...

in six games. On June 25, 2015, Rush exercised his player option with the Warriors for the 2015–16 season. On November 28, 2015, he started at small forward against the Sacramento Kings in place of the injured

Harrison Barnes Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes (born May 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being sele ...

. He subsequently scored 16 points, his highest scoring total since scoring 19 points on April 22, 2012. On January 8, 2016, he scored a season-high 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting against the Portland Trail Blazers. Rush helped the Warriors win an NBA record 73 games to eclipse the 72 wins set by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls. Rush played limited minutes during the Warriors playoff run to the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...

. The Warriors would again face the

. Despite the Warriors going up 3–1 in the series following a Game 4 win, they went on to lose the series in seven games to become the first team in NBA history to lose the championship series after being up 3–1.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2016–2017)

On July 8, 2016, Rush signed with the

. On September 19, 2017, Rush signed with the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

. He was waived on October 14 as one of the team's final preseason roster cuts.

Portland Trail Blazers (2018)

On February 21, 2018, the

signed Rush to a 10-day contract. Rush left Portland after the 10-day contract expired, without even playing a game for the team.

Larisa (2019–2021)

On November 21, 2019, Rush returned to action and signed overseas with

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

club Larisa for the remainder of the 2019–2020 season. On August 26, 2020, Rush renewed his contract with the Greek team.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, 75 , , 19 , , 24.0 , , .423 , , .373 , , .697 , , 3.1 , , .9 , , .5 , , .5 , , 8.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 82 , , 64 , , 30.4 , , .423 , , .411 , , .629 , , 4.2 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .8 , , 9.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 67 , , 21 , , 26.2 , , .421 , , .417 , , .755 , , 3.2 , , .9 , , .6 , , .5 , , 9.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 65 , , 1 , , 26.4 , , .501 , , .452 , , .793 , , 3.9 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .9 , , 9.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 2 , , 0 , , 12.5 , , .667 , , .000 , , .667 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 7.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, 38 , , 0 , , 11.0 , , .333 , , .340 , , .600 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .1 , , .2 , , 2.1 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 33 , , 0 , , 8.2 , , .204 , , .111 , , .455 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , .2 , , .4 , , .9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 72 , , 25 , , 14.7 , , .427 , , .414 , , .643 , , 2.5 , , .8 , , .3 , , .3 , , 4.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

, 47 , , 33 , , 21.9 , , .374 , , .386 , , .722 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 4.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 481 , , 163 , , 22.0 , , .426 , , .402 , , .706 , , 2.9 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 6.8

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

, align="left" ,

, 5 , , 0 , , 11.0 , , .462 , , .750 , , .500 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .2 , , .2 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

† , align="left" , Golden State , 3 , , 0 , , 2.3 , , .167 , , .500 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - , align="left" ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, align="left" , Golden State , 14 , , 0 , , 7.9 , , .450 , , .333 , , .500 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , .1 , , .1 , , 1.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 22 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .410 , , .444 , , .500 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , .1 , , .1 , , 1.9

Personal life

Rush was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the brother of former professional basketball players JaRon and

Kareem Rush Kareem Lamar Rush (born October 30, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. Rush's younger brother, Brandon, last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, while older brother JaRon played college basketball for UCLA. College c ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Brandon 1985 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Kansas City, Missouri Big3 players Golden State Warriors players Indiana Pacers players Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players Larisa B.C. players Minnesota Timberwolves players Portland Trail Blazers draft picks Shooting guards Utah Jazz players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people American men's 3x3 basketball players