Rajon Rondo’s 16-year-long NBA career cemented his place among the game’s greatest point guards. Interestingly, his on-court brilliance was molded heavily by the tough love he received from veterans during his early days in the league.
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Sam Cassell recently reflected on this period, detailing how being hard on the 2x champion helped his growth as a player.
On The Draymond Green Show, the 54-year-old recalled being struck by Rondo’s potential as a sophomore, when Cassell first joined the Boston Celtics in March of 2008. As a seasoned veteran in the league, he teamed up with the veteran core of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and PJ Brown to push the young point guard to his limits.
Despite the frustration this dynamic often caused Rondo, Cassell kept him in check. The 3x champion made him realize how fortunate he was to play alongside three first-ballot Hall of Famers. This slowly prepared him for a more challenging future without them.
Therefore, when that time finally came, the four-time All-Star was prepared for the assignment. He also understood the value of the lessons taught by his former mentors.
Cassell told Green,
“His [Green’s] leadership quality, his thought process in a game of basketball was unbelievable. And Kevin [Garnett], Paul [Pierce], Ray [Allen], P. J. Brown, myself, we was hard on him.”
“And he didn’t wanna hear a lot of things… I said, ‘Listen man, when they leave, you gonna see what you miss’… Fast forward they go to Brooklyn… He called me, ‘You were right, Old School,'” Cassell added.
Cassell’s words highlighted a key aspect of Rondo‘s journey to become an NBA icon. By his second season, the then-young point guard already had become a starter at the Boston Celtics. Additionally, his average of 10.2 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in the playoffs that season was crucial in the franchise’s first title in 22 years.
However, things turned for the worse as the Celtics entered a rebuilding phase. After Allen left for the Miami Heat in 2012, Garnett and Pierce followed suit, joining the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets respectively, a year later.
This rapid shift in the roster dynamics became a lot to handle for Rondo. His performance as the team’s leader during the 2013-14 season reflected the same. His average dropped from the previous season’s 13.7 points, 11.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game to 11.7 points, 9.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
On top of this, his injuries only added to the frustration, leading to the management losing faith in him. Eventually, the Celtics decided to go for a fresh start, trading Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2014.
So, Cassell rightly pointed to how the tough treatment from Rondo’s veteran teammates was meant to prepare him for these moments. That said, the 6ft 1 guard learned quickly from his shortcomings before reaching the mountaintop again.
In 2020, he was integral to the Los Angeles Lakers winning their 17th NBA championship, solidifying his legacy.
