Why Rajon Rondo Considers Lakers Ring ‘More Special’ Than Celtics Title
Rajon Rondo retired as a two-time champion, winning with the NBA’s two-most storied franchises, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The only other NBA player, ever, to experience the glory of reaching the mountaintop on both sides of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was Clyde Lovellette, who retired in 1964. Rondo played with greats like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as a 21-year-old second-year guard and joined forces with LeBron James over a decade later to return to the promised land.
But the now-retired 38-year-old does view one title more sentimentally than the other.
“(Winning in 2008 was) the only opportunity I’ve got to have a parade, but at that particular time I won it in 2020, my son was in the bubble with me, and that made that moment a little more special winning it in 2020,” Rondo said on “The Draymond Green Show.”
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Rondo was a four-time All-Star and father of two by the time he joined James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers. When confetti poured and Los Angeles clinched its franchise’s 17th championship, Rondo sat on the court with his son, Rajon Rondo Jr., embracing the historical moment. It was the first and only time Rondo got to experience that with one of his children and it made for an iconic NBA Finals snapshot.
Still, this doesn’t mean Rondo’s championship with the Celtics doesn’t hold a near and dear place in his heart. Despite crossing enemy lines and winning with the Lakers, Rondo remains deeply respected in Boston for 2008.
“You can’t compare the two honestly because, in 2020, we were in the bubble, so we didn’t get a parade,” Rondo told Green. “So I’ve only had one parade, and that was the most amazing thing that’s happened to me in basketball. That type of love and reaction to see the fans, you’ve seen it this year, but to be a part of it, to get on a duck boat and go on a tour, was amazing.”
Now, Rondo’s began dabbling into the coaching side of basketball. During training camp, Rondo reunited with ex-Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, now at the helm of the Milwaukee Bucks, as a guest coach for two weeks. Rondo was recruited, oddly enough, when Rivers attended his wedding this past summer in Italy.
Soon enough, Rondo could find himself on the sideline hunting for ring No. 3.