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Kendrick Perkins has been close friends with Rondo for years. He enjoys Rondo’s personality both on and off the court.
“He’s got like a quiet arrogance about him,” Perkins said. “He doesn’t talk or show too much emotion, but he’s arrogant with it. It helps us a lot, because when he picks it up, he picks it up for everybody.”
“His competitiveness is deceptive,” West said. “He talks a lot, communicates, and does all the right things, but as far as showing his emotions, you couldn’t tell. Like in comparison to KG, by his emotions or a certain action he does, you can tell he’s out there competing. KG’s into the game, whereas Rondo may not give you all that emotion but he’s just as fierce inside. It’s like a quiet confidence that you don’t understand until you actually match up against him and you see, this guy is quietly really trying to beat me (laughs).
“It helps a lot because everyone is so focused on the Big Three, and you have another guy that’s just sitting in the darkness and he’s not trying to make any noise about it and draw attention to himself, but he’s quietly one of the best point guards in the NBA and the world.”
CSNNE: Beyone the Arc: Rajon Rondo
We've said this before because this has come up before… but Rondo lack of emotion makes it really difficult to interpret what he's doing on the floor sometimes. But time and time again you hear about Rondo's inner fire. You see it too when someone from the other team is hovering a little too close to a fallen teammate. He does NOT like that.
Great job by Jess Camerato to get Rondo out of his element a little for CSNNE's "Beyond the Arc" feature (follow the link for the Rondo video) and talk about things beyond the scope of the NBA. His brother seems to have been a pretty big influence on his life. Also… he and KG go golfing together. Lord knows what that'd be like. After the video, a bunch of Celtics weigh in on Rondo. Worth a read.
On Page 2: Why tonight will sorta be like "Home Alone" for the Celtics
The way Doc Rivers describes the final game before the All-Star break, you get a mental picture of a Boston Celtics' locker room that resembles the chaotic opening scene in "Home Alone."
Fifteen players, five coaches and a support staff all preparing to bolt in different directions. Many are going to Los Angeles for festivities surrounding the 60th All-Star Game, some are sneaking home for a few days, others are bolting for a long weekend in more tropical climes.
The alarm clock — which, unlike the McAllisters, Rivers would prefer not to sleep through — is the 17-win New Jersey Nets, who visit TD Garden on Wednesday night for Boston's pre-break finale.
"Half our guys are packing for L.A., the other half are going to god knows where," Rivers said. "You want to make sure you finish the games. It's different. It's not like you're traveling yourself. When you're on [All-Star] break, you've got your family. I'm sure the guys will all hear it [Wednesday], their wives will be telling them what they have to pack, because they are all going to. That makes the break difficult."
ESPN Boston: Celtics try to stay focused against the Nets
This is ALWAYS a trap game for a good team. And we know how the Celtics are with these trap games.
I'm not saying the Celtics are going to lose this one… but I wouldn't expect any works of art tonight. This one will probably fall under the "ugly" category no matter what the result. So it's probably best not to have any food or beverages within an hour of the game. We don't want anyone getting sick.
The rest of the links:
Hoopisms: NBA's greatest shots & video | MWDN: Garnett congratulates Russell | Despite injuries, fight still in Celtics | ESPN Boston: Transcript of Obama's comments on Russell | C's on medal recipient Russell | CSNNE: Russell honored for his pursuit of equality | West reinjures wrist, doubtful for Wednesday | WEEI: Waiting on Delonte West | Herald: Delonte return not at hand? | President Obama touts Russell tribute | Globe: Making Net gains | Nets thumbnails | Honoring Bill Russell | Survey: Where would you put a Russell statue?
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