Los Angeles Lakers: Glen Rice, the forgotten third star in the Kobe-Shaq era

Glen Rice was an All-Star who made a name for himself playing for the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets, but not very often it is mentioned that he won a ring with the Los Angeles Lakers.

We all remember the failed experiment of the big four with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 and the bigger delusion that came from it. Adding to the best one-two punch of the NBA (Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal) two declining stars in Gary Payton and Karl Malone looked like a sure bet for the championship. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected as the Lakers fell short in the finals.

Kobe and Shaq had more success as a duo surrounded by a supporting cast that knew its role in the triangle offense and gave continuity to the team in the three-peat.

What is often forgotten is that at the beginning of the Kobe-Shaq era there was a third star on the Lakers roster to form a big three overshadowed by Shaquille O’Neal’s big shade. That third-star answers to the name of Glen Rice. Three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1997 All-Star Game MVP and three-point specialist.

In 1998 the Los Angeles Lakers featured the tune of four players in the West All-Star team: Shaq, Nick “the Quick” Van Exel, fan-favorite Eddie Jones and a very young Kobe Bryant, the sixth man on this Lakers team. Despite this young talented group, results were slow in coming as they suffered elimination at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Entering the third year of Shaquille O’Neal’s contract, the front office decided to shake things up and add some veteran to the team. In 1999 they got rid of Nick Van Exel, acquiring in his place 37-year-old Derek Harper, signed Dennis Rodman, and traded Eddie Jones (along with Elden Campbell) to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for All-Star Glen Rice. He was the shooter expected to fit perfectly with the team preventing adversaries from double-teaming Shaq.

The approach did not pan out. By the end of the season Rodman had been cut, Harper had lost his starting job, and the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs once more. Anyway, Rice performed well averaging 17.5 points shooting 39 percent from the arc. It was certainly a demotion for the three-time All-Star, who used to be the man in Charlotte, but proved to be a solid third option for the Lakers and formed a deadly big three with Bryant and O’Neal.

At 31 years old, Rice arrived in LA in his prime. The season before he had led the Charlotte Hornets to the playoffs scoring 22.3 points per game. Step back one more year and his average rises to 26.8, shooting a league-best 47 percent from three.

In 2000 Phil Jackson stopped by Los Angeles bringing Tex Winter and his triangle offense with him. His presence contributed to conquer the first of many championships to come, but with him also came the problems for Rice.

His production dropped slightly that season, but it was expected with Kobe Bryant improving. Unfortunately, his bad fit in the triangle offense, where he lost all of his offensive privileges to become simply a spot-up shooter, and his defensive struggles entailed a reduction in minutes for the former Hornet.

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While Jackson requested to have him traded for Scottie Pippen, his contractual status added to the malcontent. The Lakers exercised an option to keep him through 2001 at a relatively low price, while Rice’s extension discussions brought up big numbers. This would eventually lead to the Lakers trading him in the summer of 2000, but not before winning his first and only championship.

Despite all the troubles, he continued to perform the best he could without creating too much drama around himself, and revealed instrumental in the Finals, stepping up when an injured Kobe Bryant missed playing time.

Overall, Rice’s tenure in Los Angeles has to be considered successful, averaging 16.3 points and 4.0 rebounds and winning an NBA title. If coaching and money issues had not taken over, he would have had the chance to remain long term and probably win more championships in the downside of his career, likely becoming a bench option through time.

Particularly, it is appreciable the mindset he brought with him to LA. It is not easy for an All-Star who used to be the go-to-guy of his team to join a new one on his prime and suddenly become the third option. Rice handled the transition masterfully and was willing to do whatever he was asked to win the championship. Those are the kind of sacrifices that a title takes and not everyone is really willful to take a step back for the team’s sake.

However his stay ended up, it is right to acknowledge him as a member of one of the great Lakers teams and give him credit for his contribution, helping to jumpstart a successful era in LA Basketball.