Los Angeles Lakers: 3 other legends whose numbers should be retired

No. 35 — Rudy LaRusso

One of the most underrated Lakers of all time, Rudy LaRusso didn’t get the credit he deserved while playing in the shadows of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Gail Goodrich. However, his game more than warrants consideration for jersey number retirement.

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During his eight seasons with the Lakers, he was a part of four trips to the NBA Finals. Although all four ended in losses to the Boston Celtics, his impact on those squads was undeniable.

Known for his physical style of play, ferocious rebounding and tenacity on defense, LaRusso was the enforcer of the great 1960s Lakers teams. His efforts earned him five All-Star appearances throughout his career (two were during his time with the San Francisco Warriors).

As a Laker, LaRusso sported career averages of 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while sinking 43.4 percent of his field goals. Although he never made an All-NBA team with the Lakers, his part in getting the team to four Finals in a five-year span can’t be understated.

It’s also worth noting that he played on the first Lakers team to call Los Angeles home. He joined the franchise a year before its move from Minneapolis, making LaRusso a part of history as one of the NBA’s most successful teams of all time was born.