Kareem Rush

Kobe Bryant was front and center in the Clippers' locker room on Saturday night before their game against the Mavericks. Not literally, but you get the idea. The Clippers were watching the tape of the Mavericks' victory over the Lakers on Friday and a frustrated-looking Bryant loomed large. At the same time, new Clipper Kareem Rush was reminiscing about his former teammate, telling stories about Bryant's legendary work habits, including arriving at the gym at 6 a.m. His duties as a Lakers rookie once included taking care of Bryant's laundry, and staying out of his way as much as possible.

Aside from following a diet that focused more on protein and fruit, Clippers forward Al Thornton says something else this season also gave him an energy jolt. After scoring in double digits and shooting over 50% only once in the first four games, Thornton lost his role as a starter for three contests in favor of Rasual Butler. Thornton said after Thursday's practice that his demotion helped spark a turnaround. He has since reclaimed his place as a starter and has scored in double digits in 12 of the last 13 games.

Kareem Rush announced Tuesday he will enroll at Missouri and not join his brother at UCLA. "I think it was time to step out of his shadow and become my own man and be my own player," said the 6-foot-7 forward, who led Pembroke Hill to three Missouri state basketball championships. It had been widely assumed that Kareem would follow JaRon Rush to UCLA. JaRon started 22 games for the Bruins this past season and was named to the all-Pacific 10 freshman team after averaging 11.

An already subdued Clippers locker room -- quieted after a 110-102 loss to the Hornets on Tuesday night at New Orleans Arena -- became even more downcast when Kareem Rush arrived on crutches, moving slowly to his spot near the corner. There were a couple of murmurs in the room and finally one of his teammates asked, "You OK?" Said Rush: "No." Rush then told his teammates that he had a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which puts him out for the rest of the season.

For nearly two hours, two years apart, their NBA draft nights passed much the same way, one brother on the brink of career disaster, the other holding back tears, then finally letting them go. Glenda Rush spoke Friday afternoon, sounding as though she still carried the weight of both experiences. As her middle son, Kareem, held up a gold Laker jersey, No.

What happened: Both teams struggled in the opening minutes. The game started ominously for Missouri when guard Clarence Gilbert suffered a dislocated finger on his left (non-shooting) hand after only 17 seconds had elapsed, but he quickly returned after being treated on the bench. UCLA used its height advantage to take several offensive rebounds, but the Bruins' poor shooting and sloppy play prevented them from capitalizing.

Financial ties between Los Angeles sports agent Jerome Stanley and Myron Piggie were revealed in a lawsuit filed by Stanley, seeking to recover $43,500 in loans from the summer-league basketball coach in Kansas City. The lawsuit, obtained by the Kansas City Star, said Piggie promised to "promote" Stanley's firm in the basketball community. Payments were made, starting on Aug. 1, 1997, and ended May 8, 1998, according to the lawsuit filed earlier this year.

The NCAA ruled that Missouri freshman forward Kareem Rush can regain his eligibility, but must be held out of half of the Tigers' games. "We're all in support of Kareem," Coach Quin Snyder said. "I'm glad it's settled and we'll try and make something positive out of it." The school plans to appeal the ruling today to the NCAA Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, and anticipates that the case will be heard next week.

Holy Jerry West! Sitting at last month's equivalent of an NBA poker party, the NBA draft, and holding a pair of deuces, the 27th pick in the first round, Mitch Kupchak hit the jackpot. Instead of folding his hand and mailing in his pick, Mitch: Acquired an athletic shooting guard, Kareem Rush, who, after his sophomore season in college, was projected to be a lottery pick; Unloaded Lindsey Hunter's salary when he traded the point guard to Toronto in order to acquire the rights to Rush; Obtained from Toronto Tracy Murray, a superb three-point shooter who will strengthen the Lakers' perimeter game; Created enough cap room to sign Devean George to a long-term contract.

Kareem Rush, a standout at the Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Mo., and younger brother of Bruin freshman JaRon Rush, is expected to commit to UCLA during the early signing period that begins today. If so, the Bruins will get a player whose high school coach says can fill several roles. At 6-7 and 195 pounds, Rush is taller than his brother and quick enough to alternate between small forward and shooting guard.

Just what the Clippers don't want to see when Chris Paul is lurking around the corner and an oh-so-modest goal of .500 is within reach: Eric Gordon is injured. The second-year guard is suffering from a sore left groin, making him doubtful for tonight's game against Paul and the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center. Gordon didn't suffer a specific acute injury but experienced discomfort and soreness during the fourth quarter of Saturday night's victory over Memphis. The Clippers (3-4)

Kobe Bryant was front and center in the Clippers' locker room on Saturday night before their game against the Mavericks. Not literally, but you get the idea. The Clippers were watching the tape of the Mavericks' victory over the Lakers on Friday and a frustrated-looking Bryant loomed large. At the same time, new Clipper Kareem Rush was reminiscing about his former teammate, telling stories about Bryant's legendary work habits, including arriving at the gym at 6 a.m. His duties as a Lakers rookie once included taking care of Bryant's laundry, and staying out of his way as much as possible.

The telephone connection is weak and, besides, Kareem Rush has been battling flu, so he doesn't sound great. Playing professional basketball in Lithuania has been difficult. The fans are enthusiastic, but the Lietuvos Rytas team is far from the NBA, where Rush insists he should be. "This is a temporary stay," he said. "I'll be back."

Shaquille O'Neal wasn't the only former Laker back at Staples Center. Kareem Rush returned to town with his shot straightened out and his scoring average at a career best. The Charlotte Bobcat shooting guard, an inconsistent shooter when he was a Laker, is averaging 15 points, second-highest on the Bobcats, and making a commendable 42.1% of his three-point attempts. He scored a career-high 35 points last month against Indiana.

Kareem Rush faced his old team for the first time since the end of his days as a Laker, with his points, minutes and confidence having increased to the degree that he was upset Kobe Bryant wouldn't be joining him on the court. "I'm a little sad he's not going to play," said Rush, traded from the Lakers to the Charlotte Bobcats last month for second-round picks in 2005 and 2008. "I'd love to go against him. I went against him for two years in practice."

The Lakers walked off the practice court Monday, threadbare and transitioning, with Kareem Rush gone, Tony Bobbitt arriving to replace him, two of their top scorers nursing injuries, their coach taking a trip to see a doctor, and Kobe Bryant later opining that Karl Malone might be done, perhaps finding retirement more acceptable than imagined.

Kareem Rush, the Missouri guard the Lakers acquired in a draft-day trade from the Toronto Raptors, scored nine points in 34 minutes in his debut during the opening day of the Dada Summer Pro League at the Pyramid in Long Beach on Sunday. The Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 90-74, in front of a standing-room only crowd of 5,000.

Kareem Rush, acquired from the Toronto Raptors by the Lakers on draft day, has signed a contract with the three-time defending NBA champions, two days after negotiations were able to begin. The Lakers acquired the rights to Rush, the 20th pick in the draft, along with forward Tracy Murray, in a deal that gave the Raptors guard Lindsey Hunter and the rights to Chris Jefferies, the 27th pick in the draft.

The Lakers took a long look at their third-year players and came to two different conclusions: Caron Butler is in for another season, Kareem Rush is not. The Lakers picked up the fourth-year option on Butler's contract, which will keep him with the team through 2005-06, but they declined the option for Rush, making the hot-and-cold shooter an unrestricted free agent next summer. Rush, selected No.

The Lakers are expected to decide today whether to exercise fourth-year options for forward Caron Butler and guard Kareem Rush, moves that would keep both under contract through next season. If a third-year player does not have his 2005-06 option picked up by Monday, he will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Butler, acquired from the Miami Heat as part of the Shaquille O'Neal trade, has had an impressive exhibition season. He will make a relatively affordable $2.