- Rajon Rondo suffered a knee injury while playing against the Atlanta Hawks in 2013 but played through it
- Before the next game, the Boston Celtics’ doctor told Rondo he needed to go to the hospital
- Rajon Rondo said he found out about his ACL injury because it was being reported on the radio
Rajon Rondo was an NBA champion with the Boston Celtics by 2008 and by 2013, he had become one of the team’s brightest sparks.
He received a major setback in 2013 when he tore his ACL, but it’s how he found out about it that is truly wild.
Speaking on the Old Man And The Three podcast, Rondo revealed the wild way in which he found out the extent of his injury.
“We go to the arena. I got like seven heat packs on me,” Rondo said. “I do my pregame, get out of the shower and one of the docs is like, ‘Come sit on the table.’
“He does, you know, the little ACL check. He’s like, ‘You’re not playing today. Go to the hospital.’”
Rajon Rondo then went and got an MRI on his knee, and what followed is almost hard to believe. He explained, “On my way back from the MRI, the doctor that I went with turns on the radio, and it’s like, ‘Rondo’s out with an ACL tear.’ I’m like, ‘How in the f*** did somebody get that information before I even know that it’s an actual ACL?’
“So, I look at the doctor I’m riding with and I’m like, ‘Is this true? How are they reporting ACL when there was no one at the hospital?’ I figure the doctor that’s sitting next to me must’ve said something.”
(starts at 20:21 minutes)
Rajon Rondo was aiming for Larry Bird‘s record of three-straight triple-doubles for the Boston Celtics, so it must have been crushing for him to find out that his season had come to an end.
Any NBA player always expects to know the information that goes out to the public before it does, so this must have been a wild situation to deal with for Rondo.
Rajon Rondo’s Comeback From Injury Took A Long Time But He Eventually Won Another Title
Rajon Rondo made his fourth All-Star appearance in the 2012-13 season, but after his ACL injury, it took him serious time to recover. He missed a year of NBA action, making his return in January 2014.
Things didn’t work out with the Boston Celtics after that, and he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in December of 2014, but that move ended up going sour as well.
Even though he never made an All-Star team again, Rajon Rondo managed to find himself on the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James in 2018 despite bouncing around the league a lot.
The story got the happy ending it deserved, with the point guard being an integral part of winning the championship with the Lakers in 2020.
Rajon Rondo Has Been Backed To Enter The Hall Of Fame
Rajon Rondo may not have turned into a household name, but he is a 2-time champion, 4-time All-Star, 4-time All-Defensive Team member, and has led the league in assists three times during his career.
His injuries and perceived attitude issues have cost him quite a bit, but in his prime, Rajon Rondo was playing like a Hall Of Famer on both ends of the basketball court.
His former teammate, Paul Pierce, has backed Rajon Rondo to make the Hall Of Fame after he retires, although it is hard to say if he actually will.
Rajon Rondo last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and he is technically not retired yet. Despite a rollercoaster of an NBA career, perhaps a final flourish with a potential championship run as a backup is still possible.
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