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Rajon Rondo was drained. The enormity of his return to Boston had taken a toll on him two weeks after being traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
As he sat at the podium for his postgame press conference, he admitted he was physically and emotionally tired. Addressing the media at a table draped in green with the Boston Celtics backdrop behind him, the scene looked so familiar yet out of place at the same time.
“That was a tough game to get through,” he said.
The TD Garden crowd greeted Rondo with a standing ovation during starting lineup introductions. After the first quarter, in which he scored 15 points, the Celtics recognized him with a video tribute set to Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars.” Rondo didn’t watch much of the montage. Those memorable images could have been too much.
“It was a big game and it was already emotional enough,” Rondo said. “I just wanted to stay locked in, listen to coach in the huddle and then obviously go out and say ‘thank you’ to the fans.’ So I wasn’t too keyed in on the video. I watched, I saw a couple glimpses, but I was just trying to stay focused.”
Rondo is like a human on/off switch. He has a knack of stepping up his game on the big stage regardless of his previous performances. Rondo entered Friday’s game averaging 9.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 10.1 assists. He left the court having posted 29 points (including a career-high five treys), six rebounds and five assists in the Mavericks’ 119-101 victory. He had not scored more than 25 points since January 18, 2013.
“He played against the Celtics for the first time without wearing the ‘Celtics’ on his chest and he was out there to seek and destroy,” said Jared Sullinger.
Just another vintage Rajon Rondo performance last night.
From his ‘I haven’t played defense in years’ comment to the 5 three-pointers, Rondo returned to needle and frustrate Celtics media and fans for the umpteenth time.
There was even a silly, “Boo Rondo” push on Twitter, spearheaded by a media member desperately seeking admittance in the Boston blowhard Hall of Fame.
I’ll never understand why some Celtics fans can’t accept Rondo for what he is – a talented, yet flawed player. Debating Rondo’s merit was like talking politics or religion. There’s no convincing the other side.
As we muddle through another rebuilding season, I’m going to enjoy watching ex-Celtics pursue a championship. While my heart leans towards Paul Pierce in Washington, I’d love to see Rajon win in Dallas for two reasons. 1) He’s so much fun to watch and 2) The anti-Rondo clique in the Boston media will lose their minds.
Related: ESPN Boston – Rondo reigns supreme in return | Herald – Rondo’s still maddening | CSNNE – Rondo too good for Celtics game plan | Tanguay – Rondo was a failure in Boston | Globe – Mavs rout Celtics in Rondo return | Rondo saluted by fans | WEEI – Rondo looks back on emotional day |
On Page 2, insight into why the 2008 team was so damn tough.
In that first year, the championship season, Leon Powe, James Posey, P.J. Brown and Tony Allen all came off the bench. Add them to the rugged starting five and you get a whole bunch of fighters.
“I think it was about where we come from too,” Powe said of the toughness. “We had a good mix of guys, but we had a lot of guys that came from the inner-city. I’m from Oakland. Rondo’s from over there in Kentucky – Louisville. And then I think the city really shapes your toughness.”
According to Powe, a gritty power forward who now works for the Celtics, that team held its share of “headbutts” and “clashes” on the practice court.
“It wasn’t, like, to the detriment of the team,” he says. “It was just like, ‘Nah, I’m tougher than you.’ And then we had to come to a conclusion: ‘We all tough now, man. We’ve got to take it out on them.’”
Powe remembers “G-Unit runs,” during which all the Celtics big men would beat on each other after practice. They would line up and play games to seven. Whoever scored stayed on the court, but there was one catch: no foul calls allowed. Powe laughs while recalling “everybody getting in a fight” and players “wrestling on the ground.”
Kudos to Jay King for digging up some great stories about the Banner 17 team, courtesy of Leon Powe and Keyon Dooling.
I still get goosebumps thinking about that team.
You come across a lot of must read stuff on social media. But, trust me, this is a must read.
The rest of the links:
Herald – Bradley learned a lot from mentor | Watch their step
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