Forgotten Michael Jordan Teammate Is Now CEO Of 8-Store Restaurant Chain

Rusty LaRue won an NBA title in 1998, alongside Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls. His name is probably unrecognizable to most fans, as he played in just 98 games throughout his five-year NBA career.  

After LaRue's NBA career ended, he found success in the restaurant management industry. Today, LaRue is the chief operating officer of Dairi-O, which is a restaurant chain in North Carolina. The company has eight restaurants throughout North Carolina.

“After starting to investigate new opportunities like financial management, I eventually met the owner of Dairi-O Restaurants at a men’s breakfast," LaRue said. 

"Before long, I was given the opportunity to become an owner and operator, and now, after three years, I am now.... the chief operations officer of all eight locations throughout the Triad area.”

LaRue runs eight restaurants, which shows he's been extremely successful in his post-NBA career. As for his NBA career, he's virtually unrecognizable. 

So, the question that now needs to be asked is: Who is Rusty LaRue?

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Who Is Rusty LaRue?

Rusty LaRue was a talented athlete, excelling at a few sports while at Northwest Guilford High School, which is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. LaRue earned All-State honors in baseball, basketball, and football while in high school and in 1991, was named North Carolina Athlete of the Year.

After high school, LaRue attended Wake Forest, the same college Tim Duncan attended. At Wake Forest, LaRue continued to play basketball, baseball, and football, becoming just the second player in ACC history to play three sports in one year.

After four years at Wake Forest, LaRue went undrafted, but he was invited to the Chicago Bulls training camp in 1997 but was waived before the Bulls' first preseason game. After being waived, LaRue planned to play in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) after being selected by the Idaho Stampede in the CBA expansion draft.

After just one game with the Stampede, scoring 11 points and recording 7 assists, the Bulls called LaRue up after sharpshooter Steve Kerr became injured. This was LaRue's chance, even how slim it might be.

After being added to the Bulls' active roster, LaRue played in 14 of 17 games. In those games, LaRue averaged 3.5 points and 0.6 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. LaRue was not added to the Bulls' playoff roster, so he would not see the floor during Chicago's "The Last Dance" run in the postseason.

Still, LaRue is an NBA champion, and you can't take that away from him. LaRue had a front roll seat to watch Michael Jordan hit his last shot as a member of the Chicago Bulls, and it's a memory that LaRue will never forget.

“I just remember him getting the ball and we had a timeout left, but it was like, ‘OK, here we go. This is it right here, right? We’re not calling timeout. The guy’s got the ball we want to have the ball,’” LaRue said about Jordan.

“Just seeing him hit the shot, everybody coming out of their seats and just the elation, realizing that he had hit the shot to win it.”

Overall, LaRue played in just 98 games throughout his five-year NBA career. After his NBA career ended in 2004, LaRue has moved on to a few different careers. 

First, LaRue stayed in basketball as a coach. He coached on the high school level and in college for Wake Forest as an assistant.

“When I decided that I was finished coaching, I knew that I wanted to lean on my business education to go in a new direction,” LaRue said.

Once LaRue moved away from coaching and basketball in general, is when he found his successful career in restaurant management. It may not be as exciting as playing or coaching basketball, but it's a challenging career that LaRue thrives in.

LaRue certainly won't complain about how his life has gone. To play for the NBA's most popular team in the 90s, with the greatest player to ever play, while winning an NBA title is special.

Then, after retiring from the NBA, to find a successful job in the restaurant business is incredible. So, you might not know Rusty LaRue by name, but that doesn't mean LaRue isn't a success because he certainly is. 

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