Los Angeles Lakers (2002–2004) Rush entered the
2002 NBA draft after his junior season and was selected with the 20th pick overall by the
Toronto Raptors, who immediately traded his rights to the
Los Angeles Lakers. Rush was projected to be a top 10 pick, but much like what happened to Kareem's elder brother JaRon—a former UCLA star—Kareem slipped down much further than anticipated. At the 2000 draft, JaRon, who left the Bruins after his sophomore season, was not selected. "No one wants to see something like that happen to his brother", JaRon said, weeping. "I mean, I knew he was going to get drafted eventually, but it was still hard." Over his first two seasons, he played a limited, back-up role on the
Shaquille O'Neal and
Kobe Bryant-led club. However, due to his three-point shooting accuracy, he would become a more frequently used reserve player in the 2003–2004 playoffs for coach
Phil Jackson. Although the Lakers would lose to the Pistons in the
NBA Finals, Rush was able to make somewhat of a name for himself as a sharpshooter, averaging 14 minutes per game and hitting 40% of his three-point shots in the playoffs. He was a major contributor in helping the Lakers clinch the Western Conference Finals against
Kevin Garnett and the
Minnesota Timberwolves, when he scored 18 points in the sixth and final game, all from 3-point range, where he was 6 for 7.
Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2006) Fourteen games into the
2004–05 season, the Lakers traded Rush to the
Charlotte Bobcats for two future second-round draft picks. In Charlotte, Rush found a larger role, often starting and averaging more than 25 minutes and 11.5 points per game. He set a then-Bobcats franchise record by scoring 35 points against the
Indiana Pacers. His season ended March 2 when he strained his
MCL during a game in
New Orleans.
Seattle SuperSonics (2006) During the
2006–07 offseason, Rush signed with the
Seattle SuperSonics, but recovered slowly from a groin injury. In November 2006, the club waived him to make room for a replacement for two frontcourt players who had sustained injuries.
Lithuania (2006–2007) Rush spent the next season playing in Lithuania. On December 21, 2006, he signed with
ULEB Cup participant
Lietuvos rytas from
Vilnius. He was chosen by the Slovenian coach
Zmago Sagadin and led his team to the cup final. On February 24, 2007, Rush was named
the MVP of the
2007 LKL All-Star Game. On April 21, Rush's team became the champion of the
Baltic Basketball League; he was named the Final Four
MVP.
Indiana Pacers (2007–2008) On July 3, 2007, Rush signed with the
Indiana Pacers, who cited their need for a shooter.
Philadelphia 76ers (2008–2009) On July 28, 2008, Rush signed a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Los Angeles Clippers (2009–2010) Rush eventually signed for the Los Angeles Clippers, because of injuries to other players on the roster. However, Rush himself suffered an
ACL tear in his right knee on November 18, 2009. The day before his ACL tear would end up being his final NBA game ever. On November 17, 2009, the Clippers would lose to the
New Orleans Hornets 102 - 110 with Rush only playing for less than 2 minutes and recording no stats. Rush was waived by the Clippers on January 22, 2010.
Los Angeles D-Fenders (2012) On March 12, 2012,
Los Angeles D-Fenders of the
NBA D-League acquired Rush.
Los Angeles Slam (2012–2013) For the 2012–13 season, Rush played for the
Los Angeles Slam of the
ABA.
Los Angeles D-Fenders (2013–2014) In November 2013, he was re-acquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders. On January 22, 2014, Rush left the D-Fenders, citing his desire to formally retire from basketball.
BIG3 Basketball (2017) In 2017, Rush joined the
BIG3 basketball league, playing on a talent-stacked
3 Headed Monsters roster, highlighted by head coach (and
NBA Hall of Famer)
Gary Payton, as well as
Kwame Brown (the first ever directly-from-high-school player to go #1 overall in the
NBA draft),
Rashard Lewis,
Jason Williams, and
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
North American Premier Basketball (2018–present) In January 2018, he signed with the
Kansas City Tornados of the first-year
North American Premier Basketball. == NBA career statistics ==