Rajon Rondo is once again back in Los Angeles, and part of the Lakers. Rondo was with the Lakers between 2018 to 2020, during which time he helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship.
Rondo was absolutely spectacular during the Lakers’ 2020 playoff run. He was easily the 3rd best player for the Lakers behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, elevating his level of play in the postseason.
Rondo’s performances during the postseason revived his ‘Playoff Rondo’ monicker, which had been given to him because of how he was able to take a giant leap in his quality of play from the regular season to the postseason.
But Rondo wanted a big payday in 2020, potentially the last of his career. So he signed a 2-year, $15 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks, thus leaving LA. But he would return to the city in just a few months, but this time to join the LA Clippers as part of a trade.
The Clippers brought Rondo in with the idea that he would elevate the Clippers and give them the floor general they so desperately needed during the playoffs. But that never happened, and Rondo began to clash with Clippers players like Kawhi Leonard during their postseason run to the Western Conference Finals.
The Clippers traded Rondo to the Grizzlies, who agreed to a buyout with Rondo, allowing him to become a free agent. He signed once again with the Los Angeles Lakers, who wanted to bring him back as they missed his presence last season.
In fact, Rondo got emotional when a reporter told him this. During the Los Angeles Lakers media day, a reporter asked Rondo how it felt to be back with the Lakers, especially knowing how much LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed him.
In a coy response, Rondo ‘got emotional, pretending to get tears in his eyes and asking whether they really said that. It was a funny moment from a player who has a history of giving such responses in the past.
Rondo will be serving as the backup point guard to Russell Westbrook next season. Despite their shaky history, Rondo addressed their issues and noted that there was no beef between the two anymore.
Rondo is one of the most intelligent players in the NBA and has great leadership qualities that will be extremely useful for the Lakers as they make a push to win the 2022 NBA championship.
