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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – They were once rivals, Rajon Rondo and LeBron James. Rondo was in Boston. James was in Cleveland and Miami. Their paths would cross almost every year in the playoffs, an annual placement of a thorn in the other’s side.
James may have had different words to describe Rondo then.
These days, however, the words James uses when speaking of the Los Angeles Lakers backup point guard include cerebral and determined. And that smart and resilient approach has Rondo at the gates of a more exclusive club.
Rondo helped the Boston Celtics win their 17th NBA championship. He’s also on the verge of being a part of the No. 17 title for the Lakers, something that could happen as early as Friday night (Saturday Manila time) when they face the Miami Heat in Game 5 of these NBA Finals. NBA. The Lakers lead the series 3-1.
“I won at (22), and now at 34, it’s a completely different experience, and to understand that this doesn’t happen often or annually,” Rondo said earlier on the series. “Being back here more than a decade later is a very humbling experience.”
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The Celtics and Lakers have long been the royal families of the NBA, the title leaders and probably the best rivalry in the league. Many players have played for both franchises, but only one, Hall of Fame forward Clyde Lovellette, played on championship teams with both clubs. And even that comes with a little asterisk; Lovellette won titles in 1963 and 1964 with the Celtics, and his first ring came in 1954 when the then Minneapolis Lakers.
So Rondo could be the first to win a title for both Boston and Los Angeles.
“I am very fortunate and blessed to continue to play this game for so long,” said Rondo.
James still remembers the playoff matchups in 2008 and 2010, when he was in Cleveland and Rondo was with Boston. The Celtics were more talented than the Cavs’ teams and won both games; The 2010 series ended James’ first season in Cleveland and eventually sent him to Miami.
While James noted the talent disparity between teams, so was this: Rondo called out to Cleveland sets every time they fell down the court. He knew what was coming. James was simultaneously frustrated and impressed by Rondo’s ability to predict movement in real time.
When the Lakers got a chance to get Rondo, they didn’t hesitate, so clearly, James was more than okay with the move. Love smart teammates. Rondo more than fits that bill.
“Rajon is a huge part of what we do,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “I have tremendous confidence in his abilities, especially in this atmosphere, so deep into the playoffs when games mean so much. He’s been there before and I trust him. “
With good reason.
He’s not the All-Star he once was, but the toughness hasn’t gone away. Rondo and Heat forward Jimmy Butler are friends and former teammates; Rondo doesn’t think about Butler talking trash during a game, to the point where they both laugh sometimes.
“Rondo always says something to me during the game,” Butler said. “I have a lot of respect for the boy, a lot of love for the boy, him and his family. Obviously, he played with me in Chicago, so there’s always some wonder going back and forth. “
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However, by buying time, Rondo lets the play do the talking.
Consider the last six minutes of Game 4 of the final. Rondo re-registered with the Lakers up 85-83. He helped force a fumble from Miami, landed an offensive rebound that led to two James free throws, scored his only points of the night on a layup that put the Lakers up by six, then had the game-set pass. by Anthony Davis – sealed 3 points with 39.5 seconds remaining.
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Nobody in the Lakers calls him Playoff Rondo. He’s not very fond of the nickname, although many use it loosely when discussing him during the postseason. But it showed why the name stuck, with another example of him popping up in the biggest moments of the biggest games.
“This opportunity doesn’t come up often,” Rondo said. “Guys look for this moment throughout their careers, and we definitely have to seize the moment.”
