30. Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis’ time with the Los Angeles Lakers ultimately served as the bookends for his NBA career. The goggled power forward started his career with the organization and he spent his first seven seasons in the league as a part of Showtime. After numerous stops elsewhere, a depleted Rambis concluded his career with two more seasons in Los Angeles.
Considering how washed up he was by the time he returned to the Lakers, his final two seasons as a part of the franchise were ultimately forgettable. Even then, his numbers as a member of Showtime were nothing special as the big man averaged 5.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while playing only 18.7 minutes per contest over those seven seasons. But none of that is why Rambis kicks off the top 30.
For all of the flash and glory that was the Showtime Lakers, they wouldn’t have been the same team without Rambis. He was the blue collar aspect of those illustrious teams, willing to do the dirty work and unafraid to mix it up with opponents if that’s what a situation called for. He was the attitude that those teams needed to take them to another level and, even if that didn’t mean big numbers, it helped the Lakers reach the pinnacle of the league.
Next: No. 29 Bynum