As a lifelong Celtics fan, it is hard not to think back to the Lakers/Celtics rivalry of the 1980's. You know, the ones of Magic vs Bird, Kareem vs Robert Parrish, and Dennis Johnson vs Byron Scott. None of those men are as good as the one I'm about to mention. That's man's name is Kurt Rambis.
Who, some of you may ask, is Kurt Rambis? Well, Mr. Rambis, as I should be calling, was the great white hope of Los Angeles during their championship runs. Okay, maybe no one called him that, but they should have. Mr. Rambis had the shaggy hair long before Steve Nash made it popular. Long before players were wearing contacts and face masks, Kurt Rambis was out there hustling for rebounds wearing his glasses.
As a Celtics fan, many may wonder why I would even consider writing about Kurt Rambis. Well, I feel that too many people have forgotten about Kurt Rambis. Forgotten about his short stint with the Lakers as their head coach. And I believe too many people have failed to remember that Kurt Rambis was also an actor. Being in Hollywood for such a long time will do that to a person. Kurt Rambis was a great coach on the tv show "Seventh Heaven", where he coached Jessica Biel to greatness.
Where is Kurt Rambis now? Some say he is leaping over tall buildings in a single bound, while others say he is coaching the 'B' team in some junior high in Canoga Park, CA. The fact is, I don't care. Whether he saving the earth one hybrid vehicle at a time or teaching home ec in Indiana, I would consider Kurt Rambis a friend, if I knew him. The man rose from a little known basketball player to an exceptional actor worthy of an Emmy. Though I'm a Celtics fan, he would be the one Laker who is not a foe.
*Note: I do not know Kurt Rambis or even pretend to. I wore Rec-Specs, not my glasses, in high school games, much like Kareem. Rambis might have, too, but I can't remember. I was only a kid so get off my back.
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