Rajon Rondo has officially announced his retirement from the NBA after a 16-season career.
During an appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Rondo responded promptly when host Matt Barnes asked if the NBA had seen the last of him.
“Absolutely,” the 38-year-old point guard said. “Yeah, I’m done. I can’t. I’d rather spend time with my kids.”
A four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion, Rondo last played in the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rajon Rondo (Via NBA)
Reflecting on his career, Rondo said, “What a time, it was definitely something that I never took for granted when I was in the game.
I loved every minute of it, and I appreciate the brotherhood that I was able to share and bond and grow with over the years.
I’ve learned so much in this game and it’s made me the man who I am today. … I tell people all the time, this wasn’t a dream of mine, it was a goal.
I was able to lock in, stay disciplined, I didn’t party a lot in college. But it was worth the sacrifice of me getting to where I wanted to be in life.”
Rondo led the NBA in steals per game in the 2009-10 season and in assists per game in 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2015-16. He was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team four times and won NBA titles with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics and the 2019-20 Lakers.
Throughout his career, Rondo averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 957 career games (733 starts).
Rajon Rondo (Via NBA)
He played for the Boston Celtics (2006-15), Dallas Mavericks (2015), Sacramento Kings (2015-16), Chicago Bulls (2016-17), New Orleans Pelicans (2017-18), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-20, 2021-22), Atlanta Hawks (2020-21), Los Angeles Clippers (2020-21), and Cleveland Cavaliers (2021-22).
LeBron James, who won a championship with Rondo on the Lakers in 2020, praised him after L.A.’s game on Tuesday night.
“One of the best players I ever played with,” James said. “Obviously his IQ is out of this world, and I was very lucky to get to team up with him at that point here when I was in L.A. … just being a fierce competitor throughout my career when he was in Boston, obviously our battles that we had when I was in Cleveland and then going to Miami.”
Rondo is scheduled to stand trial on April 25 in Jackson County, Indiana, on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as misdemeanor charges for drug paraphernalia and marijuana.
In February, he rejected a plea agreement offer from prosecutors. His attorneys have since argued that the gun charge should be dismissed because it violates Rondo’s Second Amendment rights.
