Rick Fox: From the Foxhole

Who says the only way you make a mark on a basketball game is in the box score? Who says championship role players are just average guys catching a lucky break and riding the coattails of a superstar? Take a look at the basketball career of Rick Fox and say that again. Are you at a loss for words? That's because like the opponents he faced, one-on-one, you got nothing on Rick.

Rick had it all, offense, defense and a high basketball intelligence. Sure he was no superstar, but he embraced his role and that's what made him the star of all role players. He could score 20 on any given night, but at the same still make an impact on the boards.

This coach's favorite could steal, block, dish and score in a variety of ways. From dunks to layups to three-pointers, Rick found his shot, all because he could find himself on the floor. Fox's style of play is emblematic of Laker legend Magic Johnson in that Fox knew how to play to his strengths on the floor and Rick was a team leader. His hard work and hustle however were his bread and butter. His passion allowed him to be a potent force on the court.

Sure in the early 2000s, Lakers Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant may have had the stardom and Derek Fisher and Robert Horry the big-shot fame, but that didn't leave Fox out of the limelight. We're not talking about this double threat's Hollywood career either because beyond He Got Game, Blue Chips and One Tree Hill, this was no act. Rick could play.

Even when Payton and Malone arrived Rick was no fifth Beatle. He was a significant other like Vanessa Williams or Eliza Dushku. Before Andrew Bynum put on the No. 17, the original No. 17 was putting up numbers and exhibiting intangibles that went beyond statistics and could be measured only by the sweat in his jersey and the ice water in his veins.

Maybe it was this Canadian's upbringing in the terrific city of Toronto that made him able to withstand anything or anyone, whatever the weather. This maple syrupy, smooth, class act was all smiles off the court, but not afraid to shed the "Mr. Nice Guy" persona when it came to crunch time.

Maybe it was the tar he picked up on his heels from his time in North Carolina that made him such a professional, or maybe it was his stay in Boston that made him tougher and stronger then Irish whiskey. The Showtime Lakers of the '80s and the present-day Lakers could sure use the tough mettle of a guy like Fox.

Ask anybody, especially in Sacramento, about how frustrated Rick's tough play made them. Rick was willing to get his hands dirty, but he always did what it took to help his team and he always played fair.

Rick's harassing defence was the Lakers' X-factor during their championship years, along with Phil Jackson's zen, Horry's clutch, Fisher's streak, Shaq's strength and everything about Kobe's game.

Fox's input went beyond his impressive stats: a balanced 6.1 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in the playoffs and 8,966 career points. Perhaps Fox's biggest contribution was what he kept off the stat sheet with his stifling defense, i.e. points, rebounds, assists etc. Fox was on his opponents like white on rice.

Just ask Doug Christie, who fought Fox, how agitating and frustrating Fox's play was. Rick owned his competition, pushing, shoving, boxing out anybody and anything to deny his opponent the ball. Rick was the ultimate team player.

Rick riled so many people up that this Canadian should have played ice hockey instead. Rick had the right mindset though. He belonged in the company of the '80s greats that displayed a toughness that is seldom seen today, greats like his former Celtics or the Bad Boy Pistons.

It wasn't until Motown had a renaissance that Fox and the Lakers met their match in the Detroit Pistons. Before that no one was close, as Fox got up, close and personal with his man, wearing them down.

He may "dance with the stars" nowadays, but a decade back he dueled with them. Shaq may have joked that Rick spent too long staring in the mirror, but on reflection Rick was so dedicated to preening his game that he made the guy he was covering look bad.

With his hairstyles and different looks, he may have appeared like the odd one out and his play may have been a little rough around the edges, but this small forward was silky smooth like the Zohan.

You didn't want to mess with him either. Fox left opponents and opposing crowds in fits. From 2000 to 2003 he ensured the Lakers were winners. You want to attribute their success to someone other then the usual suspects? Then blame it on Rick.

Rick stalked his prey and laid down the law. He kept guard, stealing and reducing opponents' numbers like their name was ENRON. Pat Riley would have loved him in the '80s. Fox made everything gel together perfectly, a true small forward.

Along with Shaq and Kobe's dominance and Horry and Fisher's clutch, Rick tied everything together like a Lebowski rug. He ensured that his opponents' aggression would not stand next to his true grit defense. Just ask the Spurs, Indiana or anyone who was victim of his deadly clutch threes. 

This Hollywood and Staples Center icon had a calm, but measured demeanor and his hard work and hustle helped the Lakers snag championships. Rick was similar to the Lakers' Ron Artest now (without the NBA stardom and a more successful second career), acting up and stealing the ball and the show in all the Hollywood drama of the NBA playoffs.

Fox was sly and cunning, cutting and drying the grey areas to make victory for the Purple and Gold black and white. Sure Fox's sneaker deal wasn't like LeBron's, but Rick's jersey was soaked in a type of champagne some never get to taste. When Rick catches a game at the Staples Center, he may not see his name in the rafters, but he still saw plenty of ticker tape and balloons during celebrations in his day.

Kobe will always come before Fox, but true warriors are more than just the guy leading the charge, they're the ones behind their leader 100 percent. That's what Rick Fox was going to battle in some of the NBA's greatest victories: a true warrior. This Canadian earned his stars and stripes and championship gold. When the Lakers' dynasty was written, Rick stuck to the script: his own.