Rudolph A. LaRusso (November 11, 1937 – July 9, 2004) was an American professional basketball player and five-time All-Star in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was nicknamed "Brutus" and "Roughhouse Rudy" because of his physicality and competitive spirit on the court.
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Early life
LaRusso was Jewish, born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn. LaRusso, whose mother was Jewish and father was Italian, won All-City honors and was later inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. He attended and graduated from Dartmouth College. In 1959, playing for Dartmouth, he grabbed 32 rebounds in a game against Columbia, tying an Ivy League record. He also set Dartmouth records for rebounds in a season (503) and career (1,239), and was twice named All-Ivy League.
Professional career
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1960–1967)
LaRusso was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers in the second round of the 1959 NBA draft out of Dartmouth College. He played eight years with them and two more for the San Francisco Warriors. On November 26, 1959, he scored 15 points and 20 rebounds in a 114-95 loss to the Cincinnati Royals. He became the second Lakers rookie to have grabbed at least 20 rebounds in a single game, joining teammate Elgin Baylor. On February 24, 1960, he scored a season-high 27 points in a 131-110 setback against the Boston Celtics.
In his second year, LaRusso slightly improved his statistics from his rookie season. In his second game of the season, LaRusso recorded a career-high 28 points in a 112-97 loss to the St. Louis Hawks.
In 1962, he scored 50 points against the Hawks, at that point the most ever by a Jewish NBA basketball player. in a game for the Lakers against the Hawks. In 1967–68, he finished seventh in scoring league-wide with a career-best average of 21.8 points per game.
San Francisco Warriors (1967–1969)
Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke made a push to trade LaRusso in the midst of a subpar 1966-67 season, reportedly calling him a "brute" around the basket. On January 16, 1967, a proposed three-team trade would send him to the Detroit Pistons along with a first-round draft pick, while Mel Counts headed to the Lakers. In turn, the Pistons would ship Ray Scott to the Baltimore Bullets. However, LaRusso refused to report to the Pistons, stating that he did not want to uproot his wife who was seven months pregnant. He already had contemplated retirement from the game to become a stockbroker. The Bullets did not budge despite the Pistons and Lakers having second thoughts about the transaction. When the league ruled the trade to be valid, the Pistons suspended LaRusso, who promptly retired. In August, his rights were sold to the San Francisco Warriors.
LaRusso had two solid seasons with the Warriors, playing more than 75 games and averaging more than 20 points in each one while being selected an All-Star both times. He retired after the 1968-69 season to become an investment banker and sports agent.
Player profile
LaRusso was a five-time All-Star and was known for his rebounding, tight defense, toughness, and presence.
Personal life
LaRusso had a small cameo role in the Gilligan's Island third-season episode "Bang! Bang! Bang!" as 'Agent Michaels'.
He died of Parkinson's disease in 2004. He has a son, Corey LaRusso, and a daughter from another marriage, Christine Larusso, a Los Angeles-based poet.
Career statistics
NBA
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