Pierce, Rush or Someone Really Cool I Don’t Even Know About Yet

By Matt Tait     Dec 8, 2008

Sunday night was a big night in the NBA for Jayhawk fans and former Jayhawks — or at least I thought it was going to be. The schedule dictated that the Boston Celtics were to travel to Indiana for a match-up with the Indiana Pacers. On paper, it didn’t mean much. Boston entered the game at 19-2 and Indiana was a less-than-stellar 7-12. But for fans of former Jayhawks, it wasn’t about the two teams, their mascots or their records. It was about seeing NBA all-star Paul Pierce (1996-1998) match-up with rookie Brandon Rush (2006-2008). Last week, Rush got the chance to guard Lakers star Kobe Bryant for a few possessions. Kobe — as he does with most who attempt to hold him — got the best of B. Rush on most trips. But just the fact that the Pacers asked Rush to guard Kobe says plenty about how he’s progressing. It seemed that Sunday night would offer another chance to assess Rush’s talents against another all-pro in Pierce. His size, length, athletic ability and intelligence surely would have been a challenge for Pierce. But the opportunity never came. Rush suited up but never got into the game. Pierce, of course, did play. He finished with 17 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds in 44 minutes while being guarded mostly by Danny Granger. It would’ve been a blast to see the two former Jayhawks square off on Sunday but we’ll have to wait for another time. In the meantime, the near-showdown got me thinking. Which one of these Jayhawks had a better career at KU? Pierce might have had better numbers and, obviously, has gone on to have a great pro career. But Rush wasn’t too shabby while he was in Lawrence and he got a title.Your thoughts? No. 34 or No. 25? How about sounding off about some of the best small forwards in KU history?

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.