Los Angeles Lakers: 10 best small forwards in team history
By Amaar Burton
7. Glen Rice (1999-2000)
An unsung hero of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2000 championship team, Glen Rice is often overlooked when fans and media talk about the Shaq-and-Kobe dynasty.
It might be a stretch to call the trio of Shaq, Kobe and Rice a true “Big 3,” but Rice was more than adequate as a No. 3 option behind the two living legends.
The three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA performer for the Charlotte Hornets was traded to the Lakers during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. Rice averaged 17.5 points per game and shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range in that partial season.
I don't care about any of this but ....the first super team? The '99-'00 Lakers had Shaq, Glen Rice, Ron Harper, Robert Horry. That's like the 1995 All-Star team. https://t.co/1fRvOJj0jX
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) June 12, 2018
In his only full season with the Lakers, Rice averaged 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, hitting 36.7 percent of his 3-pointers. He led the team in 3-point accuracy, and in 3-pointers made by a wide margin.
When Kobe went down with an injury early in Game 2 of the 2000 Finals against the Pacers, Rice stepped up and scored 21 points that night, shooting 5-of-6 beyond the arc. In the title-clinching Game 6, Rice added 16 points and six rebounds.
A few months after the championship, Rice was traded to the Knicks.
One of the best shooters in the modern history of the league, Rice came along at a time before the 3-pointer was as popular as it is now. He’s a borderline Hall of Fame candidate as-is, but in a later era he could’ve been an even bigger star.