Jackie MacMullan posted a great piece over at ESPN Boston about how Rajon Rondo is starting to “grow up”. If there’s been one complaint about Rondo from C’s fans over the past few years, it’s been his maturity, or lack thereof at times. Jackie talks about how Rajon has “emerged from his own self-imposed exile”.
So what exactly was it that has caused this change of attitude? Have Doc and KG finally broken through? Did he have a “spiritual awakening” over the summer? None of the above. Jackie explains:
“For all his brillance, three adjectives have muddied Rondo’s image: stonefaced, stubborn, moody.
“Like Bird, right?” Rondo offered. “Danny [Ainge] told me Larry was the same way.”
That is an accurate assessment. Bird also proved to be aloof and ornery in the heat of competition. No wonder when the Celtics briefly courted Chris Paul with Rondo as trade bait that Larry Legend was among those keenly interested in acquiring him.
Rondo isn’t going anywhere now. He is a three-time All-Star and the face of the Celtics, a veteran player on a roster dotted with new faces.
He has realized it’s not good enough to be a leader in the shadows. He needs to be more visible, more transparent.
“Yes,” he confirmed with a wry smile. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.” ”
This piece is an absolute must-read. It talks about Rondo organizing summer workouts on the West coast, how he truly feels about “that guy” and the incredible bond formed between himself, Quis, KG, Dooling & Wilcox. Read the post in its entirety at ESPN Boston.
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