Rajon Rondo’s career highlights include four trips to the NBA All-Star Game and two dates with the Larry O’Brien Trophy. His rings came with the Boston Celtics (2008) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), where he played alongside several Hall of Fame teammates. So Rondo knows, from experience, what separates the stars in those teams from two legends among them: LeBron James and Kevin Garnett.
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Rondo recently explained why James and KG stand above the other teammates he’s had across nine franchises during his career from 2006 to 2022. Sure, he also played alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Jimmy Butler, and plenty of other current and future legends. But there was something different about KG and The King.
Rondo, while describing his admiration for the two basketball icons on the Thanalysis Show, also talked about how incredible it is that James is still playing in the league at 40 years old. And, even more impressively, he is still performing at such a high level. But Rondo is not surprised.
“I think what you just said about the discipline and the faithfulness of the little things. Kudos to him [LeBron]. Out of all the greats I’ve played with, he and Kevin are the two most disciplined, elite leaders I’ve played with, and do everything the same,” explained Rajon.
We readily associated Bron with discipline, but Garnett? The Big Ticket always had the swagger of a brute whose large size mixed perfectly well with athleticism. To hear Rondo say that KG put in the work is admirable.
Rondo then praised the two Hall of Famers for maintaining discipline when it comes to personal health.
“Every day they don’t take short steps, they don’t cheat the game, they take care of their body. They’re eating the proper foods. Of course, they’re humans; they live life. But for the most part, everything I’ve always seen from those guys, and I take the most kudos from those guys, is their discipline every day,” said Rondo, whose stories tie a bow on what made those Celtics and Lakers runs so special.
Rondo wasn’t just surrounded by talent. He was surrounded by players who treated greatness like a daily habit, not a highlight reel. Hearing him talk about LeBron and KG in that light gives a new appreciation for how much he learned from them. It’s the kind of insight that explains why he lasted so long and why so many stars loved playing with him.
Pair that with The King’s remarkable longevity, and it’s easy to see why Rondo values and still carries those lessons with him. LeBron and KG’s approach clearly left an impression, shaping the way he thinks about the game and his body. It’s a reminder that the little things aren’t really little when you’re chasing greatness.
