• Rajon Rondo got honest about his relationship with Chris Paul
• The point guards have been feuding for over a decade over career accolades
• Rondo doesn’t hold any ill-will towards Paul today
Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul had one of the most public NBA rivalries for over a decade, with the two star point guards often being compared. With Rondo out of the NBA for a whole season now, he reflected on that rivalry and showed that his animosity has cooled off while talking to JJ Redick on his podcast.
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“We’re kinda mutual friends with [Trevor Ariza], and he always says we have a lot of similarities. Maybe that’s why we’re so feisty and we compete the way we do against each other. Obviously, it’s a lot of respect for him and how he plays, and what he’s done for his career.”
Redick also revealed that he and CP3 didn’t share a positive relationship before they became teammates on the Clippers.
We have seen many NBA rivalries ebb away over time. Sometimes it’s because they become teammates, as we saw with Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley last season. More often than not, animosity fades after the end of a career and it seems Rondo doesn’t have the same dislike for Paul now that he had expressed during his career.
The Complicated Relationship Between Chris Paul And Rajon Rondo
From all accounts, it seems the rivalry between the point guards started in 2008 when Rondo was coming off a championship-winning season with the Celtics but was snubbed for the Team USA Olympic roster for Paul.
Rondo and Paul would have an on-court spat the following season where Rondo told CP3 that he would never win a ring, a prophetic statement that still holds true. Rondo and Paul would be cold towards each other in media interviews, with Rondo even requesting that people stop asking him questions about Chris Paul.
Ever since then, everyone knew the two guards didn’t like each other. Though CP3 would be better regarded and have better numbers, Rondo would always hold a championship over CP3’s head.
Their biggest spat was still yet to come, as in 2018, during a Lakers vs. Rockets game, Rondo allegedly spat on Paul. This led to a fight where the benches spilled over. The two haven’t had a bad public interaction since.
Rondo won another ring with the Lakers in 2020 while CP3 is still searching for his first with the Warriors this season.
Will Chris Paul Prove Rajon Rondo Wrong?
What Rondo told Paul about never winning another ring is still true. Though the Warriors are a championship setup, the team doesn’t necessarily have all the ingredients it needs to win a title.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson are a feared trio, with Andrew Wiggins being one of the premier 3-and-D players in the league. But the roster is getting older and they’re adding more old players like Cory Joseph and Dario Saric. The Lakers have proven that youth can be useful, and the only youth the Warriors will hope to rely on comes from Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Chris Paul is coming in as a 39-year-old replacement for 24-year-old Jordan Poole. He can’t replicate the scoring, but hopefully, he can steady their roster and be a bonafide playmaker for one of the best offenses in the NBA.
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