ˈæftɚɹ ɐ jˈɪɹ ɪn ɹˈʌʃə, lˌæ ɹˈuː ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tʊ ɐmˈɛɹɪkə ænd bɹˈiːfli plˈeɪd fɚðɪ ˌɛnbˌiːˈeɪz jˈuːtɔ dʒˈæz dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd wˈʌn zˈiəɹoʊ tˈuː ˌɛnbˌiːˈeɪ sˈiːzən sˈaɪnd dʒˈænjuːˌɛɹi twˈɛnti ˈeɪt, tˈuː θˈaʊzənd tˈuː bᵻfˌoːɹ ɡˌoʊɪŋ bˈæk tə ðə jˌʊɹɹəpˈiən lˈiːɡz, wˌɛɹ hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðɪ ɪtˈæliən tˈiːm pˌælɐkˈeɪnstɹoʊ vˈɛɹs.
After a year in Russia, LaRue returned to America and briefly played for the NBA's Utah Jazz during the 2001–02 NBA season (signed January 28, 2002) before going back to the European leagues, where he joined the Italian team Pallacanestro Varese.