For the majority of his career, Rajon Rondo has known nothing but competing for titles. But the four-time All-Star was forced to embrace a new reality over the past two seasons as his Boston Celtics began a years-long re-building project. Let’s just say he’s glad to be playing for a contender again. At his introductory press conference after being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, a rejuvenated Rondo said that he’s “dying to get another ring.”
Via Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas:
“There’s one goal that you have in mind, and I’m dying to get another ring again,” Rondo said in his introductory news conference after joining the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster trade. “I want another parade.”
“It was very challenging these last couple years,” Rondo said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to play for future Hall of Famers and great teams and a great coach in Doc Rivers. And to get back to that situation and be able to play with future Hall of Famers and a great coach and a team that’s ready to contend for a title, I’m fired up. I’m ready to go.”
Rondo won a championship with the Celtics in 2008, his second year in the league. Boston made the playoffs each of the next five seasons, too, as Rondo established himself as one of basketball’s preeminent big game performers. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 11.3 assists against the LeBron James– led Miami Heat during the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, leading many to say that the 25 year-old was the series’ best player. But Rondo hasn’t appeared in a postseason contest since that series’ deciding seventh game when he notched a triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists.
The Celtics won just 13 of the 52 games in which Rondo appeared since 2013. Dallas, on the other hand, went 49-33 last season before losing to the champion San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game first-round series, and is currently an impressive 19-8 on the year.
Unlike most league analysts, we’re not convinced that Rondo will push the Mavericks from sub-contender to legitimate one. He’s an uncomfortable fit for this team’s league-leading space-based offense, and his recent impact on the other end hasn’t matched his reputation as an elite perimeter defender. But Mark Cuban has assembled a wildly talented starting five, and its sheer individual quality could certainly supersede any concerns of nuance.
Rondo wants a championship. Dallas does, too. And both are more likely to get one now than they were two days ago.
What do you think?
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