After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday (4/2), LeBron James praised Rajon Rondo after Rondo announced his retirement from the NBA.
LeBron and Rondo were teammates on the Lakers in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2021-22.
“One of the best players I ever played with,” LeBron said about Rondo. “Obviously his IQ was out of this world and I was very lucky to get to team up with him at that point here when I was in LA.”
Rondo is one of the best point guards in NBA history. He has career averages of 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.1 blocks with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rondo made four All-Star teams, four All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team. He won three assist titles, one steals title and two championships.
Rondo is 15th in NBA history in assists, 49th in steals, 17th in assists per game and 16th in triple-doubles.
Rondo helped the Celtics win the 2008 championship over the Lakers. He then helped the Lakers win the 2020 title over the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble.
“What a time, it was definitely something that I never took for granted when I was in the game,” Rondo told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on All the Smoke. “I loved every minute of it, and I appreciate the brotherhood that I was able to share and bond and grow with over the years. I’ve learned so much in this game and it’s made me the man who I am today. … I tell people all the time, this wasn’t a dream of mine, it was a goal. I was able to lock in, stay disciplined, I didn’t party a lot in college. But it was worth the sacrifice of me getting to where I wanted to be in life.”
