“Rajan Rondo alienated Kawhi Leonard during the 2021 Playoffs”: Skip Bayless is unaltered by the rumors of the LA Lakers acquiring Rondo

Undisputed analyst Skip Bayless feels unaffected by rumors of Rajan Rondo signing with the LA Lakers.

Earlier this year, the Clippers had acquired Rajan Rondo in exchange for Lou Williams, two 2nd round draft picks, and some cash considerations. Rondo seemed to be a perfect fit at the time for the Clippers, who lacked leadership on the roaster.

However, Rondo’s stint with the Clippers didn’t go as planned. The 2x NBA champion had a rather disappointing tenure with the LA team. Despite having a few noteworthy performances, Rondo was unable to find his footing in the team.

The veteran point guard’s performances dipped, especially during the post-season. In the first round against the Dallas Mavericks, Rondo was a dismal 32.4% from the field and was clearly outmatched by Luka Doncic.

Also read: “Playoff Rondo is real”: Anthony Davis is all praise for Rondo after brilliant Game 3 performance vs Rockets

According to several reports surfacing in the media, Rondo is expected to reach a buy-out with the Memphis Grizzlies and sign with the LA Lakers.

Reacting to the rumors, analyst Skip Bayless to a shot at the former Clippers star for alienating Kawhi Leonard during their series against the Mavericks.

Skip Bayless believes Rajan Rondo pushed Kawhi Leonard away from him

The LA Clippers’ journey in the 2021 playoffs can be best described as a roller-coaster ride. Though the team had some poor starts, they were able to resurrect themselves.

Head coach Ty Lue did an incredible job overcoming back-to-back 0-2 deficits in the first two rounds of the playoffs. In their first series against the Mavericks, the Clippers seemed blown away by the sheer magic of Luka Doncic.

However, Kawhi and co were not going down without a fight despite being down 0-2. The Clippers would win the next two games in Dallas. Thus tying the series.

The Clippers had home-court but fell short to the Mavericks. The Clippers had an opportunity to tie the moment but squandered the opportunity due to an appalling airball shot by superstar Kawhi Leonard.

One of the highlights of the game was Rondo’s flabbergasted reaction to Kawhi’s airball. The veteran point guard was seen having a heated moment with the superstar.

According to Bayless, Rondo’s reaction to Kawhi’s shot pushed the latter further away from him. The analyst felt things between the two Clippers stars soured after the above incident.

Also read: ‘It doesn’t show in the stat sheet’: LeBron James explains Rajon Rondo’s impact in Lakers’ game 2 win vs Rockets

Nevertheless, Kawhi had a great postseason, averaging 30.4 PPG on an impressive 57.3% shooting from the field. Unfortunately, the 2x Finals MVP suffered a partial ACL tear during the eastern conference semi-finals that kept him out indefinitely.

Many believed the Clippers would’ve been crowned the 2021 NBA champions hadn’t Kawhi suffered an injury.