In the Los Angeles Lakers’ run to the 2020 NBA Championship, the team had a host of important role players surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Arguably none was more important, or hit bigger shots in that postseason run, than Rajon Rondo.
The point guard is known as one of the most intelligent players to ever step foot on a basketball court and that paired perfectly with LeBron and Davis that season. Rondo recently announced his official retirement from the NBA and James had nothing but praise for the guard.
LeBron called Rondo one of the best players he ever teamed up with while adding that he told him that they could win a championship if they ever teamed up, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“One of the best players I ever played with. Obviously his IQ is out of this world. I was very lucky to get to team up with him at that point when I was here in L.A. Obviously him coming to L.A. and joining the Lakers, I was ecstatic about that. I knew what we could accomplish together. ‘Do always talked about how if he ever teamed up with me, he knew we could win a championship and we did that. Being a fierce competitor throughout my career when he was in Boston, obviously our battles that we had when I was in Cleveland and going to Miami, so he got everything out of his career and more. Two-time champion, multiple All-Stars, I think a couple years he maybe led the league in assists or was up there. Just a spectacular player.”
Anyone who has ever teamed up with or just had a conversation with Rondo have all said the same thing about his intelligence and basketball IQ being at another level. For that to come from LeBron, who is also one of the smartest players in NBA history, goes to show just how bright Rondo is.
Rondo was a four-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team selection who also led the NBA in assists on three different occasions in addition to his two championships, one with the Lakers and one with the Boston Celtics. His game wasn’t the flashiest but he was undoubtedly one of the best pure point guards of his generation and deserving of the praise James and others are heaping upon him.
Lakers’ LeBron James thinks it’s weird that Rajon Rondo isn’t coaching
The question for Rajon Rondo now is what he will do now that his basketball career is over. The obvious choice would seem to be coaching, but the former Laker hasn’t gone down that path yet, which is surprising to LeBron James.
LeBron spoke about this recently, naming Rondo as a player who would make a great coach and calling it weird that he hasn’t gone down that road. For his part Rondo would explain that he is focused on his family, and daughter in particular, but did note that he would love to coach the expected expansion Las Vegas NBA team that LeBron plans on owning.
More must-reads: