Rajon Rondo obtained an unusually timed telephone name lately. It was round 3 a.m. His former teammate Paul Pierce was on the opposite line.
“He was like, ‘They want us back.’ I’m like, ‘Hello?’” Rondo stated.
Pierce was speaking concerning the Celtics, and particularly coach Joe Mazzulla, who despatched out an e-mail to all of the franchise’s alumni with an open invitation to observe. Pierce and a number of other others have already returned. Rondo obtained the e-mail, and with a little bit nudging from Pierce, he took up the chance with a shock go to to Friday’s observe on the Auerbach Center.
“You do that in a lot of college programs where alumni come back,” Rondo stated. “As a pro, you don’t do it as much because guys get traded to so many different teams and it’s the NBA. So to get that email was very welcoming and humbling at the same time.”
Rondo, who performed the primary 9 seasons of his profession with the Celtics earlier than being traded in 2015, was excited to take a look at the Auerbach Center for the primary time. He used Friday as a possibility to speak basketball, meet up with previous associates and briefly cease by with the media to share his ideas on these Celtics.
Rondo, like many, may be very impressed with the championship favorites and was an enormous fan of their commerce for Jrue Holiday, who he performed with throughout his one season with the New Orleans Pelicans.
“I love the Jrue Holiday pickup,” Rondo stated. “He’s one in all my favourite teammates I’ve ever performed with all-time and I’m excited for you guys to see what he can deliver night time in, night time out. …
“Just his mentality, his mindset, his professional approach to the game, and just what he brings out there on the court. He does a lot of intangibles, he’s a very unselfish guy, and he’s fun to be around. But he’s a winner. He’s a competitor.”
Rondo had not been round this Celtics workforce lengthy sufficient to check them to the 2008 championship workforce, however there’s one other former teammate of his who’s now on the teaching workers in Sam Cassell who he thinks will probably be an enormous profit as they chase a title this season.
“A lot. He helped me the year we won the championship in 2008,” Rondo stated. “He was a very vocal veteran for me on the team, a guy that I always still call to this day for advice. So the guys having him around is going to be big for them.”
The 37-year-old Rondo has not performed in an NBA sport since 2022 when he was with the Cavaliers, and whereas he didn’t admit if he was formally retired, he’s clearly transitioning into the following chapter of his life. Rondo stated he’s again in class on the University of Kentucky – the place he performed two seasons – to pursue a level in communications.
Rondo additionally stated teaching is in his future, and used Friday’s go to as an opportunity to choose the brains of Mazzulla and the remainder of his workers.
“I love teaching the game,” Rondo stated. “Right now I have a young AAU program with my son’s team. I coach at that level and want to dedicate my time with him and try to get him off to the right start. My daughter is in volleyball. I’m not an expert coach in that but I do study that game as well and try to put her in the right positions to get a scholarship. So, coaching is in the future. I wanted to come here this week and learn from Joe and pick up as much knowledge as I can from him and the rest of the staff and just kind of learn.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com