So you want a post on Kurt Rambis? You've got a post on Kurt Rambis!

At this blog, we try to give the people what they want (and by "people," I usually mean me). And the people (not me, in this case) asked for a post on ex-NBA player and current Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis. Now, I recognize the request was mostly made in jest, but apparently your request is my command. You know the saying: be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it!

When I was in seventh grade, I was co-creator of something called "The Rambis Files™." It was a collection of drawings and writings dedicated to the one and only Kurt Rambis. We waxed eloquent about how many teams he played for, how every NBA superstar copied Kurt's style to achieve success, and even created a name for Kurt's (imaginary) sports drink, Rambis-ade™.

Kurt could have used some Rambis-Ade here.

Lakers, Suns and Hornets. Where's the Kings photo?

Apparently, there are many out there who share our sense of fondness for the man we nicknamed Kurt "The Flirt."

There are T-shirts...

...and Web sites devoted to the NBA champion (I almost wish I had created this Web site).

Although Rambis didn't lead the league in scoring 10 times like Michael Jordan, he still left his mark on the Association. In fact, Kurt's superstar teammate, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, stated in his autobiography, "Magic's Touch," that Kurt's role on the Lakers was just as important as Johnson's role.
If anything defined Kurt on the basketball court - aside from the long hair and black glasses - it was toughness. In fact, The Flirt was so tough, the refs only gave him a two-shot foul when he was closelined by Celtics star Kevin McHale on this play:



Kurt was so tough, the character "Rambo" must have been named after Rambis. Kurt was so tough that the refs kind of let that clothesline go unpunished. In today's NBA, that play would have been a flagrant foul (two shots and the ball) and possibly a flagrant 2 (two shots, possession of the ball and an automatic player ejection). But times have changed, and so has Rambis.Gone are the long hair and black glasses, in favor of more conservative locks and spectacles, but the memory of Rambis the player lives on in the hearts of true basketball fans worldwide.