Longtime NBA point guard Rajon Rondo confirmed during an appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (YouTube link) that he has retired as an NBA player.
When Barnes asked Rondo if his NBA career was over, Rondo replied, “Absolutely,” adding that he wants to focus on spending time with his kids.
Rondo, 38, last played in the league during the 2021-22 season, when he appeared in 39 games for the Lakers and Cavaliers. He played in 957 regular-season games and 134 additional postseason contests over the course of 16 years in the NBA, winning titles in 2008 with the Celtics and 2020 with the Lakers.
Rondo was never an elite scorer but was a talented playmaker and defender who led the league in assists per game three times and made four All-Defensive teams. He also earned All-Star nods in four consecutive seasons in Boston from 2010-13 and was named to the All-NBA third team in 2012.
After spending the first eight-and-a-half years of his career with the Celtics, the former 21st overall out of Kentucky was traded to the Mavericks and spent the next several years bouncing around the NBA. In addition to Boston, Dallas, Cleveland and the Lakers, Rondo also suited up for the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans, Hawks, and Clippers.
The veteran point guard finished his career with regular season averages of 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 29.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .456/.324/.611. He earned approximately $118M in salary throughout his career, per Basketball-Reference.
While his playing time and production declined in his later seasons, Rondo’s exit from the NBA may have been expedited by a series of legal issues in recent years. Most recently, he was arrested in Indiana this January for unlawful possession of a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.
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