On November 10, 2022, according to Warriors reporter Anthony Slater, a person familiar with the team revealed that in order to strengthen the intensity of the bench rotation, increase the team's tactical diversity. The Warriors are interested in signing free agent Rondo. It is reported that the two sides have launched substantive contacts, and the negotiations are progressing very smoothly, and a consensus has been initially reached.
Long absence, Rondo!
Let's take a look back at Rondo's playing career———
Rajon Rondo was born on February 22, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft and was traded to the Boston Celtics. won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008; In 2020, he won the NBA championship again with the Lakers.
On November 2 , 2006 , the Celtics lost 87–91 to the Hornets , and Rondo made his NBA career debut in 23 minutes , scoring six points , four rebounds , and three assists.
1. The Celtic period
In 2006–07, Rajon Rondo made 78 appearances for the Celtics, averaging 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 23 minutes per game, and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team that season.
In the second year of his career (2008), the phrase "don't let your loyalty hurt you" completely changed the league landscape, and the flame of the South Coast rekindled engulfed the league. Rondo has three Hall of Fame-level big brothers around him. He also perfectly assumed the role of team commander, raising his stats to 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.7 steals in his second year.
At the end of the regular season, Rondo received the fifth-ranked vote in the Most Improved Player award. In Game 2 of the Finals, Rondo scored a career-high 16 assists against the Lakers. In the sixth game he added a career-high six steals.
Rondo grew rapidly alongside the Big Three, making his first All-Star selection in 2010, and since that year, Rondo has been named to the All-Star team four times in a row, frequently hitting triple-doubles.
。 Although the shooting was never practiced, the league did not care as much about court space as it does today, and Rondo's excellent organizational skills, wide court vision and big picture view convinced him that he was one of the best point guards in the league.
On May 30, 2012, in the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Heat, the Celtics, who were 1-0, faced the Miami Heat, and the big three of Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen faced the new big three of James, Wade and Bosh, and the game was won and lost after an overtime.
During his time with the Green Army, Rondo was one of the best in the league in terms of assists, and averaged 11+ assists per game for three consecutive seasons
Rajon Rondo got it when all three were present! Especially in overtime, Rondo captured all 12 points of the Celtics, but unfortunately the Celtics lost to the Heat 111-115, eclipsing Rondo's super data night. It can be said that Rondo's performance that night completely overshadowed James, the regular season MVP of the season.
Rondo suffered his first serious injury in his playing career in 2013, tearing the cruciate ligament in his knee.
In the 14-15 season, Rondo missed 8 weeks due to a left hand injury.
He has a good grasp of tactics and often has a shining command on the field. The high school playing experience developed a habit of not following the coach's orders.
After a stop, the Celtics' roster changed dramatically. In 22 games for the team, Rondo averaged just 8.3 points per game, the lowest since his rookie season, and shot a career-low of 40.5 percent.
2. The calf period
Despite Rondo's excellent performances with the Celtics, his disobedience on the court and his challenge to the authority of the coach still made the Celtics unbearable, and the decision to trade Rondo was eventually made.
On December 19, 2014, the Celtics and Mavericks made a big deal. Rondo officially left the Green Army, which played for nine seasons, to begin the second half of his career unexpectedly...
Joined the Dallas Mavericks on December 19, 2014;
Joined the Sacramento Kings on July 4, 2015;
Joined the Chicago Bulls on July 4, 2016;
Joined the New Orleans Pelicans on July 16, 2017;
He joined the Los Angeles Lakers on July 3, 2018, and won the NBA championship again with the Lakers in 2020;
Joined the Atlanta Hawks on November 24, 2020;
was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 26, 2021;
Traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on August 17, 2021.
returned to the Los Angeles Lakers on August 31, 2021;
Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 4, 2022.
Rondo's four-time All-Star, one-time NBA three-team, four-time NBA All-Defensive Team, steal champion, all of which he earned during his career with the Greens. After leaving the Greens, Rondo had only one assist from his 15-16 season with the Kings.
Character is the direct cause of Rondo's upheaval after leaving the Green Army. The conflict between him and Carlisle nearly ruined his reputation that year.
Rondo is a point guard who likes to control his own rhythm on the court and be adaptable, while Carlisle requires players to execute their tactical arrangements with a straight face. The conflict between the two intensified, Rondo swear directly on Carlisle on the sidelines during the playoffs, and Carlisle refused to let Rondo play from the second game of the first round on the grounds of back injury, and after the season, Rondo left the Mavericks, a deal that was also a lose-lose deal.
3. The period of kings
On July 4, 2015, Rajon Rondo agreed a one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.
In 2015-16, Rajon Rondo played 72 games for the Kings, averaging 11.9 points, six rebounds, 11.6 assists and 1.9 steals.
Cousins' discord with Carl was solved after Rondo's arrival; The team ranked 13th in the league in field goal percentage before the season, and the team's shooting percentage jumped 9 places to 4th in the league after Rondo's arrival, while Rondo himself averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds, 11.7 assists and 2 steals in 72 games, shooting a career ideal of 45%+36%+, and he also skimmed a decade-long high of 62 three-pointers. In particular, he re-ascended to the top of the league's assists throne when the league's point guard was in full bloom.
4. Bull period
On July 4, 2016, Rajon Rondo joined the Chicago Bulls on a two-year, $28 million contract.
In 2016-17, Rajon Rondo played 69 games for the Bulls, averaging 26.7 minutes per game, with 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals.
On July 1, 2017, the Bulls officially announced that they had cut Rajon Rondo.
5. Pelican period
Whether the Kings or the Bulls, Rondo is not part of the team's long-term plans.
On July 16, 2017, Rajon Rondo joined the New Orleans Pelicans on a one-year contract. On July 20, the New Orleans Pelicans officially announced that they had officially signed Rajon Rondo.
Pelicans coach Gentry is very interested in Rondo's playmaking genius. He even delegated some of his coaching authority to Rondo, allowing Rondo to develop tactics for the team. In front of Davis and Cousins, he regained the feeling of being a former commander.
Gentry, who was aptitude, also brought the Pelicans back to the playoffs, sweeping and defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
In 2017-18, Rajon Rondo played 65 games for the Pelicans, averaging 8.2 points, 4 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1 steal in 26.2 minutes per game.
In the first round of the playoffs, he averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 13.3 assists against Lillard. This is "Playoff Rondo"!
On May 5, 2018, the Pelicans defeated the Warriors 119-100 at home to tie the series to 1-2. Rajon Rondo scored just 4 points on 2-of-11 shooting, but handed out 21 assists and 10 rebounds. It is worth mentioning that the last person to get a single assist of 20+ in the playoffs was also Rondo. Since 1990, only five players have handed out 20 assists in a single game in the playoffs.
6. The Lakers period
On July 3, 2018, Rajon Rondo joined the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, $9 million contract. On July 7, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced the signing of Rajon Rondo.
On February 8, 2019, the Boston Celtics played a matchup at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the scores of the two sides alternated the lead. In the final moments of the game, Rajon Rondo used a jumper to hit the whistle to lead his team to victory. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time in Rondo's career that he has hit a whistleb.
Coming to the Lakers to assist James, fading the youth and frivolity of the past, more is to carefully teach young players and teach them their own unique understanding of tactics.
In 2018-19, Rajon Rondo played 46 games for the Lakers, averaging 29.7 minutes per game, with 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.2 steals.
On July 7, 2019, the Lakers renewed Rajon Rondo with a 2-year contract.
After missing 13 games after the NBA's rematch in Orlando, including the first series of the playoffs, Rondo returned to the game.
Rondo played 16 games for the Lakers in the playoffs, averaging 8.9 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent, including 40 percent three-point shooting. Based on Rondo's past performances, he shot 32.8 percent from three-point range in the regular season this season, compared to 31.6 percent from three-point range in his career.
Whenever he has the ball in hand, he always controls the pace of the game well. According to the NBA's official website, in the 395 minutes that Rondo was on the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers' offensive efficiency reached 117.6, which is the second highest on the team, after Danny Green.
In the 2019-20 playoffs, Rondo made his playoff hero more deeply rooted in the heart, and in the third game of the semifinal against the Rockets, he scored 21 points and 9 assists on 8-of-11 shooting, and played Wei Shao in the palm of his hand.
On October 12, 2020, in Game 6 of the Finals, he shot 8-of-11 from the field and scored 19 points and 4 assists, giving the Heat the final cut. In the end, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 to win the championship this season with an aggregate score of 4-2. Rondo became the second player in history to win a championship with both the Lakers and the Celtics. In his absence from the first-round series, Rondo set a bench record with a total of 105 assists.
On November 16, 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times Lakers reporter Brad Turner, Rajon Rondo refused to exercise a $2.6 million player option to become a free agent.
7. The Eagle Period
On November 24, 2020, the Atlanta Hawks officially announced that Rajon Rondo signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the team.
8. The Clipper period
On March 26, 2021, the Los Angeles Clippers officially announced the acquisition of Rajon Rondo from the Hawks.
On April 5, 2021, the Clippers defeated the Lakers 104-86. It was Rajon Rondo's debut since joining the Clippers, and his stats were just 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 turnovers.
On May 15, 2021, the Clippers lost to the Rockets on the road. Rajon Rondo played 28 minutes and 29 seconds, shooting 4-of-11 from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range for nine points, three rebounds, 13 assists and one steal.
At that time, Rondo was deeply rooted in the people's hearts for his refusal to vote, but many years later, in 38 playoff games in three seasons of the Pelicans/Lakers/Clippers, he shot 39 of 97 three-pointers, shooting more than 40%.
9. Return to the Lakers
On August 16, 2021, the Clippers traded Rajon Rondo to the Memphis Grizzlies.
On August 29, 2021, the Grizzlies officially announced that the team had officially become a buyout with Rondo.
On August 31, 2021, Rajon Rondo plans to sign a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after the buyout clarification period ends.
On September 1, 2021, the Lakers announced the official signing of Rajon Rondo.
10. Knighthood
On January 4, 2022, the Lakers officially announced that they would trade Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On January 8, 2022, the Cavaliers defeated the Trail Blazers 114-101. Rajon Rondo played 16 minutes, shooting 2-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-8 from three-point range and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line, for 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and 0 turnovers. This game was Rondo's first game for the Cavaliers.
He's an incredible player. No matter where he is on the pitch, he can always catch the ball whenever he wants. (Former 76ers coach Collins)
During his time with the Cavaliers, he played in 21 games and averaged 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Really "refusal to vote"
Not against anyone, as one of the top organizational guards in the NBA league today, Rondo has more empty three-point opportunities in his career than any player, some empty three meters away to let Rondo shoot three points, and his teammates and opponent players are all shrunk under the basket ready to grab the rebound, of course, Rondo will not shoot many times, but choose to break through or mid-range, if it is not possible, reorganize the offense, but as a point guard, his shortcomings on the court are still very obvious, that is, he does not dare to shoot.
Throughout his career, Rondo averaged less than 11 points per game, shot less than 32 percent from three-point range and averaged just 0.4 shots per game.
Rondo's nickname
General coaching refers to coaching, and Rondo is called to praise him for having coaching talents.
Rondo's coaching ability is recognized by the league, and many people say that it is a pity that Rondo is not a manager after retiring.
Rondo is nicknamed "Director Long" by fans and is an invisible coach on the court. His passing is as steady as his control of the field, and it is very strange, which makes people invincible, and breaking through with false passes makes Rondo even sharper. The fake pass behind the signature action is almost impossible to defend, and the pass is fast and accurate, so Rondo's pass is "1 pass, 9 nervous". Not only was Rondo able to score 25 assists in a single game, but he was also able to rotate Wade and James in a defensive bag that year, which shows that Rondo's passing on the court is extremely threatening.
Rondo is a player with a very high ball quotient, not only can deal with mutations on the field and play a very orderly attack, but he also has his own tactics, even if the tactics arranged by the head coach are interfered with and identified, he can temporarily come up with a set of tactics. This is not uncommon on the field.
, the head coach did not draw tactics like this, but Rondo was very predictable, he knew what tactics the opposing head coach would arrange, so he thought of a way to deal with it early, and as expected, under Rondo's arrangement, they successfully defended and won.
In 2012-13, Rajon Rondo averaged 13.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 11.1 assists, 1.84 steals in 38 games, and shot just 24 percent from three-point range. In the playoffs, Rondo averaged 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 11.9 assists and 2.37 steals in 19 games, and has been nicknamed ever since.
Rondo's sense of rebounding is even better, and it was Rondo's ability to rebound that earned him a title.
Rondo's character
Paranoid personality, super high ball quotient, strong competitiveness and execution, so that Rondo was not afraid of anyone from the beginning, clashed with the big brother in the team, openly provoked Kobe, and did not deal with the coach...
(1) In May 2011, after the Celtics lost to the Heat again in the second game of the playoffs, Rivers accused Rondo of several defensive problems in the locker room, and the angry Rondo directly smashed the TV, but Rivers' coaching philosophy was to inspire the players and be friends with the players, so he took the initiative to find Rondo to reconcile and comfort him, and specially formulated his tactics for Rondo to block all news of the farce. (The news did not leak until the second season) Later, the third game was the famous Rondo returned to win after breaking his arm, which can be said to be the respect of Rivers, and the weight of Garnett Pierce's two Hall of Famers players gave Rondo unlimited confidence and hard work.
(2) In the series against the Heat, Rondo played "one-armed basketball." In a scramble round, Wade pressed Rondo's left hand, Rondo's left elbow was reversed, and Rondo's left hand was dislocated on the spot, looking very terrifying. But considering the importance of the game, Rondo did not come off and insisted on playing with an injury. Playing basketball with one hand, dribbling with one hand, making layups with one hand, and scoring goals. That game added a lot to Rondo's "tough guy" image, indeed, he just has the spirit of not admitting defeat, whether it was at the beginning or now, Long's desire to win is the level of Kobe and Paul.
(3) In addition to his elbow dislocation, Rondo also suffered a very serious knee injury: a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee. It was 2013, a double overtime game between Celtics and Hawks, and Long was inadvertently injured. After the injury, Takashi continued to play after a brief handling on the bench. He didn't know he was so badly injured at the time, but it was only later during an MRI that he learned that he had torn his ligaments. In the case of a torn ligament, he also insisted on playing with an injury for 12 minutes, what kind of tough guy is this.
(4) Turney Lee said, "Rondo seems to be able to understand the opponent's ideas before the opponent executes the tactic." ”
Kobe, who has always been critical of his teammates, once had breakfast with Rondo and said to the media, "Who doesn't want Rondo?" I honestly like everything about him, yes, everything. I like Rondo's playful attitude, I like Rondo's active approach on the pitch, I like Rondo's sharp play, I like Rondo's sharp mind, I like Rondo's ability to understand the big picture. Really, I like everything about him so much, that's what a champion player has. ”
(5) Very sensitive, arrogant and stubborn in temperament. The Perkins trade kept him in the doldrums for a long time. Garnett said, "Rondo cares more than he seems to care about what people think of him, which drives him crazy." O'Neill recalled that once the Celtics attended a fundraiser and had the opportunity to meet Obama, the president of the United States ridiculed Rondo's bad shooting and asked Ray Allen to teach him, and everyone laughed at it, but Rondo was heartbroken, and for a while afterwards his shooting was even worse, and he developed serious self-doubt. He compared Rondo to his former teammate Kobe, who had to fight back against all his doubts; Rondo, on the other hand, wraps himself up and alienates you.
25 assists in a single game
It's not difficult to get 10 assists in a game, as the vast majority of active superstars have done in their careers; If we continue to expand that number to 20, then probably only some top point guards can do it, including Paul, Wall, Will Shaw and even Reggie Jackson among current players; What if it continues to expand to 25 assists per game? That's almost an all-time number, because only 7 players in NBA history have ever done it.
Rondo, without a doubt, is an absolute "assist maniac". In his career, Rondo has reached 9 assists in a single game, ranking first in active service, but he has only one 25 assists per game, and he has not achieved it at his peak. In the Pelicans' game against the Nets, 31 years and 308 days Rondo handed out 25 assists in the game, thus becoming the oldest player to have 25 assists in a single game, and it was the first time since 1996 that another player in the NBA had 25 assists. It must be said that Rondo scored 2 points, 7 boards and 25 assists in that game, and such "25+7+2" data was only made by Rondo.