FC Barcelona Ruland was selected by
the Golden State Warriors in the
1980 NBA draft with the 25th overall pick but was traded to
the Washington Bullets for a second round pick in
the following year's draft. Due to not being likely to get the playing time he wanted with the crowded Bullets frontcourt, he opted to sign with
FC Barcelona of the
Liga ACB instead for the 1980–81 season although he left the team before the end of the season.
Washington Bullets (1981–1986) Joining the Bullets for
the 1981–82 season, Ruland played behind 32-year-old
Spencer Haywood but had greater per-game averages than him during the same number of minutes. Seeing time at both forward and center, Ruland showed muscle at both ends of the floor and an accurate jump shot good from as far as 20 feet. A 56% shooter from the floor, Ruland registered as having the 10th-best field goal percentage in the league. In his league playoff debut, Ruland outshined teammate and fellow Beef Brother
Rick Mahorn with 20 rebounds and 18 points as a reserve. That postseason, the Bullets swept
the New Jersey Nets, before losing to
the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Ruland's playoff averages were 17 points and 9.4 rebounds per game off the bench. Ruland took over the starting power forward spot for
the 1982–83 season, but continued to back up at center for Washington. His 55% shooting and 11 rebounds per game ranked him, respectively, 10th and 8th place league-wide. Leading coach
Gene Shue's balanced team in scoring as well, Ruland earned a spot in the
NBA All-Star Game that season. On March 27th, 1983, Ruland recorded one of the most unique lines in the league, when he posted figures of 27 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and three blocked shots. Despite finishing with the same record as the season before, the Bullets did not make the playoffs. In
the 1983–84 season, Ruland's averages surged to 22 points and four assists per game on a Bullets team that had all five starters score 14 or more points several times on the season. On November 25 of that season, Ruland scored a career-high 38 points, and also grabbed 16 rebounds, in a win over
the Detroit Pistons. By the end of the season, Ruland was third in the NBA in total rebounds and fifth in shooting percentage from the floor. The Bullets returned to the playoffs and again lost to Boston. In the series, Ruland averaged 24 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 52% from the floor and 81% from the foul line against the eventual NBA champions. For
the 1984–85 season, Ruland was moved to center. His stats dipped slightly. He remained among the rebounding and shooting leaders, but suffered a broken bone in his foot and played just 37 games. Ruland played through the pain in the playoffs, but the Bullets lost to the
Philadelphia 76ers to end a disappointing season. The brittle feet, though, like Bill Walton before him, were now a condition. He played 30 games during
the 1985–86 NBA season, usually in considerable pain. So in most of regular season as well as in the playoffs, the Bullets opted to start towering
Manute Bol at center. Ruland added 14 points and five assists per game off the bench, but the Bullets fell to Philadelphia for the second consecutive season. While on the Bullets, Ruland and teammate
Rick Mahorn were dubbed the "Beef Brothers" for their physicality and tough play when paired together on the court. As of the
2023–24 season, Ruland has the highest
field goal percentage (minimum 2000
field goals made) by any player in
Washington Wizards history, at 56.4%.
Philadelphia 76ers (1986–1987) Traded to Philadelphia for
Moses Malone the following season, Ruland played in five games before getting injured and subsequently retiring.
Second stint with 76ers (1992) Five years later Ruland made a comeback with the Sixers, playing in 13 games during
the 1991–92 NBA season before sustaining an
Achilles injury involving a
luggage cart which was allegedly slammed into his leg by a Boston Celtics employee outside
Boston Garden.
Detroit Pistons (1992–1993) He managed to play an additional 11 games with
the Detroit Pistons the following season before retiring for good in January 1993. ==National team career==