Rajon Rondo announced his retirement after playing 16 seasons in the NBA and winning two championships. His second title came with the 2020 Lakers alongside LeBron James, who opened up on Rondo’s retirement after the Lakers’ win over the Raptors.
“One of the best players I ever played with. His IQ is out of this world. I was very lucky to get to team up with him when I was in LA. Being in LA, him coming to the Lakers, I was ecstatic about that and I knew what we’d accomplish together. ‘Do always talked about if he ever teamed up with me, he knew we could win a championship. And we did that.”
James also recounted what it was like to play against a competitor like Rondo, hailing him as a spectacular player.
“He was a fierce competitor throughout my career when he was in Boston. You know the battles we had when I was in Cleveland and then going to Miami. He got everything out of his career and more. Two-time champion, multiple All-Stars, and for a couple of years, he led the league in assists or was up there. Spectacular player.”
LeBron James on Rajon Rondo officially announcing his retirement: “One of the best players I ever played with. … ‘Do always talked about if he ever teamed up with me, he knew we could win a championship. And we did that” pic.twitter.com/GtLofpAUtg
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 3, 2024
James and Rondo played together on the Lakers for two seasons, sharing the court for 88 regular season games. Rondo averaged 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on the Lakers alongside LeBron, retiring with career averages of 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.
LeBron and Rondo are both considered two of the highest IQ players of the modern era, which explains why both were attracted to playing alongside each other despite their rivalry in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Rondo is also retiring with the unique distinction of having won a title with both the Lakers and Celtics.
LeBron James Wants Rajon Rondo To Pursue Coaching Next
With Rondo officially pulling the curtains on his incredible career, everyone will be waiting to see what he does next. One of the avenues he can explore with his incredible IQ is coaching, something LeBron James recently claimed he wants to see Rondo do.
“Rajon Rondo. He could do things on the go. It’s very weird to me that he’s not coaching at a high level – I think it’s because he doesn’t want to do it. Who wants to deal with these rich entitled guys all the time?”
Even though James questioned if Rondo wanted to enter coaching, the point guard seemed amenable to the idea. After James made his comments, Rondo put up an Instagram story asking his fans whether he should pursue coaching at the pro level or at the NCAA level. He’d have his pick of opportunities if he wanted to be an assistant coach, as Rondo’s incredible game sense would naturally translate well to coaching.
All Rondo needs to do is avoid the Steve Nash path where he rushes into a high-profile head coaching job without any experience and then is blamed for the team not succeeding. If he works his way onto a staff as an assistant coach and then develops himself, he’ll likely find his way as an NBA head coach one day.
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