No professional athlete wants to admit that another player is better than they are in the midst of competition. But now that Rajon Rondo has stepped away from basketball, he is happy to let the world know what it is like to be on the other side of a LeBron James classic.
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It doesn’t come as a surprise that many former and current players testify to the prospect of facing LeBron being a scary one. That may no longer be the case in 2026, but it certainly was during his prime, especially when he was balling with the Miami Heat.
James was at his physical and athletic peak as a member of the Heat and went on to put together many legendary performances. However, none were more iconic than his dominant Game 6 outing against the Boston Celtics in 2012.
Miami had its back against the wall in its Eastern Conference Finals matchup against Boston. They were down 3-2 and on the brink of elimination. To make matters worse, Game 6 was at TD Garden.
The Heat had already suffered a disappointing playoff outcome the previous year against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Another failed opportunity to win a championship could have stained James’ career forever.
Despite all the pressure and expectations, LeBron stepped up in a way that befit someone of his stature. 13 years after that fateful day, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo has revealed that it was the only time he ever felt helpless on the court.
“Game 6, when we had no answer for Bron,” Rondo said on the Thanalysis Show. “There was nothing no one could do.”
LeBron put forth what many still consider his best performance ever. James finished with 45 of the Heat’s 98 points. He also tallied 15 rebounds while shooting an absurd 73% from the field.
Rondo is one of the smartest players to grace an NBA court. On most days, he could figure out a way to stop a player even when they were in that special zone. Unfortunately, this performance from LeBron was different.
“I was very frustrated because usually they’re always able to figure it out, and I couldn’t because of the look in his eyes. I think that took his legacy and career path to another level,” Rondo proclaimed.
Life has a funny way of operating though, as Rondo would eventually become teammates with James on the Lakers. He would also go on to help LeBron win his fourth NBA title in 2020.
