Rajon Rondo used to have quite a rivalry with current Lakers teammate LeBron James. During James’ first run in Cleveland and then in Miami he had many battles with Rondo and the Celtics. Rondo must have left quite an impression on James because almost all of that has been left behind in Los Angeles. Rondo is a trusted teammate of James and someone the Lakers rely on quite frequently.
When that trust was built isn’t clear, but James was apparently all for bringing Rondo to Los Angeles. The two’s previous relationship was inconsequential to him. He just wanted to win basketball games. According to Rondo himself, that desire to win and play with him is why he’s in Los Angeles. James wanted him, even if that wasn’t specifically vocalized to him before he signed, via The Undefeated.
“And with LeBron joining the team, it was a no-brainer. He didn’t call at all. But he didn’t have to call. He wanted me, obviously. The Lakers are not going to go get a point guard he doesn’t want. He had interviews in the playoffs where he talked about having a veteran guy he can trust with the ball. I feel like I am a great option for that situation.”
Rondo was pretty confident that James wanted a guard like him if he was being called by the Lakers which, considering how much influence James has on any organization he plays for, is a pretty a safe bet. James had to have at least earned some respect from battling against Rondo over the years even if he did rub him the wrong way sometimes.
Of course, that’s all in the past, and Rondo has played a role for the Lakers that has been desperately needed. Not just as a guard, but as a locker room figure. He’s already had a huge influence on the young Brandon Ingram.
Me and Brandon Ingram are close. I know he has my back 100 percent. My dog. He is the first one I’m calling if I get into some s—. I got B.I. a little something after the suspensions but can’t really talk about it. A nice little parting gift. We chopped it up. We had dinner together. We got to converse a little bit more. He’s quiet. I’m quiet. He came over for dinner a couple of nights we had to sit out and we watched the game. Obviously, that bonded us a little bit more.
If Rondo continues to play well on the court and remains a great locker room influence, then James will notice that and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him making the case to Lakers management why Rondo should remain in Los Angeles beyond this season.
