“Most Unselfish Player”: Rajon Rondo Snubs LeBron James, Lists 2008 NBA Champion As Favorite Teammate

LeBron James‘ game IQ and effort to uplift his teammates during crucial games is something that makes his name appear prominently in the GOAT debate. Though there are several instances to prove James’ unselfishness as a player, Bron’s former Lakers teammate Rajon Rondo would rather give that title to someone else. In an interview with ‘The Old Man and The Three,‘ Rondo named his 2008 championship-winning Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett as the most unselfish player he has played with on-court.

Rajon Rondo has been part of several historic teams, including the championship winners 2008 Boston Celtics and 2020 LA Lakers. In his 16 seasons playing in the NBA, Rondo established himself as one of the prominent players in the league, having shared the locker room with several greats and legends such as Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.

Rajon Rondo named his former Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett as the most unselfish and his favorite player

It has been nine years since Rajon Rondo left the Boston Celtics to look for newer challenges and opportunities. To this date, Rondo still holds the highest regard for his former Celtics teammate, Kevin Garnett. On that note, Garnett recently named the ‘Big Ticket’ as the ‘most unselfish’ and his favorite player. Here is what Rondo had to say about KG in an interview with ‘The Old Man and The Three.’

“On the court as a teammate, he’s [Kevin Garnett] is by far my favorite. He’s so unselfish. And I remember Doc [Rivers] made a comment. It was a couple of years we were playing together and he was talking about how he’s the most unselfish [player] on a team. And I’m like, there’s no way. I lead the team in assists. But my mindset wasn’t to where Doc was thinking. He was talking about, if anybody hit the floor, Kevin was the first or one from all the way across the court to help his teammate up. He would sacrifice his body setting picks. He never complained about getting the ball. You know, Paul, Ray wanted the ball all the time. And everyone once in a while, KG would give me that look like, ‘Bring that motherf***er down here.’ But other than that, he was always willing to sacrifice. Took less shots when he came to Boston. Obviously, he knew that coming in. But to see him go through it when we did have adversity, he never wavered as far as who he was as a professional player. I learned a lot from him, and I guess he taught me a lot.” 

 

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As evident from Rondo’s statement, even Coach Doc Rivers affirmed that KG was the most unselfish player in the 2008 championship-winning Boston Celtics team. His selfless attitude was marked even when he played against Boston in his later years. KG would take fewer shots against his former ring-winning team and maintained his respect throughout. This proves how KG was a generational player, whose legacy still echoes in the league.

LeBron and Rondo had clear-cut strategies to win 2020 chip

The 2020 NBA Finals added a second NBA championship trophy to Rajon Rando’s trophy cabinet and a fourth one for LeBron James. The 2019-20 season was a phenomenal one for LeBron James and the Lakers, having made a 52-19 record in the league. With the Finals being the last obstacle, Rando elaborated on the plan the Lakers had to capture the series.

While watching the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics play during the bubble, Rando and James knew the ways to overcome these teams. Both James and Rando were former Heat and Celtics players, knowing the ways to beat these teams and Coach Spo or Brad Stevens, if they were to face either of them in Finals. This seemed to work out as the Lakers beat Erik Spoelstra’s Heat 4-2 in the Finals series.