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Kurt Rambis
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Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958 in Cupertino, California) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. He graduated from Santa Clara University and then played in Greece with AEK Athens BC and won the Greek Cup in 1981. His number is retired in Cupertino High School. Rambis spent most of his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, winning championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Rambis also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.
During his playing days, Rambis was somewhat of a favorite among the Lakers fans, despite his limited statistical achievements. This popularity can be explained by his blue-collar approach to the game but also by his easily recognizable aspect: Rambis usually wore a thick moustache and enormous black goggles, prompting Lakers announcer Chick Hearn to nickname him "Superman" (in reference to the character's alter ego, Clark Kent).
After retiring from his playing career, he briefly coached the
Lakers franchise during the 1999 "lockout season" following the firing of coach
Del Harris. He achieved moderate success, registering a 24-13 record in regular season before being swept by the
San Antonio Spurs in 1999 Western Conference Semifinals. He stayed on as an assistant coach when
Phil Jackson took over.
Rambis also had a recurring role as Coach Cleary in the family drama 7th Heaven.
Most recently, Rambis has been seen as a spokesperson for 1-800-THE-LAW-2.
Rambis is also mentioned in the song Blao! by rapper Hot Karl. The line states "I'm wearing the goggles that Kurt Rambis used to sport." The song was featured on NBA Live 2003.