Kentucky Makes Big Rajon Rondo Announcement on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated May 9, 2025 1:51 PM ET

Rajon Rondo had a remarkable NBA career that spanned from 2006 to 2022, during which he played for 10 different organizations. The veteran point guard was part of two NBA championship teams and earned four NBA All-Star selections.

Rondo, known for raising his game in the playoffs, is one of only two players to win an NBA championship with both the Boston Celtics (2008) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), the winningest franchises in league history.

After retiring from the NBA, Rondo returned to Kentucky, where he starred for two seaons from 2004-06, to complete his degree. This week, the university announced that the former Wildcats star had officially graduated with a degree in communications.

Congratulations to our 2025 Graduates

- https://t.co/xsSsukUCAK pic.twitter.com/YhxZcwcPjG
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 9, 2025

Now 39 years old, Rondo played in 957 regular-season NBA games. His highest-scoring season came during the shortened 2012-13 campaign when he averaged 13.9 points per game. In a full 2009-10 season, he averaged 13.7 points and 9.8 assists per game.

Rondo also added 134 postseason games to his résumé, starting 105 of them. He had a standout run in 2008-09 when he nearly averaged a triple-double with 16.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.7 rebounds in 14 games.

In the 2012 playoffs, Rondo again delivered with averages of 17.3 points and 9.6 assists per game, though the Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Rondo later signed with the Lakers and played a key role in their 2019-20 championship run, often referred to as the “bubble finals” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished the postseason with 105 assists.

Rondo played his high school basketball at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. He then committed to the University of Kentucky, where he played two seasons before declaring for the 2006 NBA Draft.

Rondo officially retired from basketball in April 2024. While his former coach, Doc Rivers, invited him to join the 2024-25 coaching staff, Rondo declined, citing his desire to support his son's basketball development and finish his degree at Kentucky.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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