Image via Complex Original
16.
The 21st overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, Rajon Rondo has had a career that can only be described as point guard’s wet dream. The former Kentucky Wildcat has an NBA championship (2008) on his resume, is a four-time All-Star (2010-13), two-time assists leader (2012, 2013), and was the NBA steals leader in 2010.
Up until his move to Dallas this past December, Rondo spent his entire career with the Celtics, expertly playing the role of maestro in an orchestra headlined by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. He was the facilitator in Boston's potent attack, but rarely yearned for the spotlight. Seldom looking to score—sometimes to the team’s dismay—Rondo always looked to get his teammates involved. A true point guard in every sense of the word.
Currently 10th in assists among active NBA players, Rondo now supplies the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, and Monta Ellis. And the Mavs are certainly better off for it.
Today, Johnny turns 29, and we celebrate the full-court visionary by counting down Rajon Rondo’s most ridiculous assists.
15.No One Makes Nothing Into Something Like Rajon Rondo
Date: 5/21/2012
Game: 76ers v. Celtics
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
Who other than Rajon Rondo could turn a potential turnover into a pretty assist? Just when you think No. 9 is going down, he keeps his composure and finds a willing recipient in Greg Stiemsma along the baseline. Seriously, how much does Greg Stiemsma miss Rajon Rondo?
14.Rondo to Green Is Something Celtics Fans Wish Still Existed
Date: 3/4/2011
Game: Warriors v. Celtics
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
Rajon Rondo helped Jeff Green take his game to the next level during their time together in Boston. A more than willing cutter who was adept at moving without the ball, Green was the recipient of many a Rondo assist. This underhand alley-oop is inch-perfect from Rondo, and Green throws it down with the finish it deserves.
13.Rondo Finds Bass For the Backdoor Jam
Date: 12/25/2011
Game: Celtics v. Knicks
Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York
How can defenses still let their guard down when Rajon Rondo has the ball? Obviously it’s the Knicks who get clowned on with this behind-the-back backdoor dime. SMH. If you watch closely, you can see Melo doing what he normally does, not playing anything remotely resembling defense.
12.Paul Millsap Couldn’t Be More Shook
Date: 3/28/2012
Game: Jazz v. Celtics
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
Let’s call this the slow-motion spin cycle, shall we? To be fair to Millsap, Rondo pretty much fakes out the entire Jazz defense. It’s just that no one looks quite as confused as Millsap on this play. It’s the fact that he actually tries to recover that does him in.
11.Rondo Leaves a Trail of Lakers In His Wake
Date: 6/3/2010
Game: Celtics v. Lakers
Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles
Rajon Rondo has made a career of sucking defenders in and waiting until the last possible moment to find an open man. And what a damn fine career it’s been. Rondo’s vision and intellect was center stage during Game 1 of the 2010 Finals, as he left one Laker clutching at air and another on the floor.
10.If You Cut, Rajon Rondo Will Find You
Date: 6/1/2012
Game: Heat v. Celtics
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
Trailing two games to none, the Boston Celtics badly needed to win Game 3 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals on their home court. And they secured the 101-91 win over the Heat in large part because of the great play of Rajon Rondo. This nifty no-look bounce pass was just one of Rondo’s 10 assists on the night.
9.Just Your Average Game-Winning Alley-Oop
Date: 12/9/2010
Game: Celtics v. 76ers
Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
It’s one thing to throw an alley-oop at the rim, but it’s quite another to throw a measured one over the top of the defender with less than two seconds left in the game and your team down by one. That’s just how Rajon Rondo rolls. No doubt, Kevin Garnett deserves plenty of credit for this play, but it’s Rondo’s perfectly-measured pass that sets up the killer strike. Goodnight, Philly.
8.Where You Going, Nene?
Date: 2/24/2011
Game: Celtics v. Nuggets
Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver
Look away now, Nene. This was not the big man’s finest moment back in 2011. Rondo draws the Brazilian in and finds Davis with an around-the-back beauty. Thanks for playing, kids.
7.That’s What You Call Threading the Needle
Date: 4/9/2014
Game: Celtics v. Hawks
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
Passing it behind your back and throwing perfectly-measured alleys are all well and good, but beating two defenders with a bounce pass from your own half of the court is on another level. We could watch Rondo hit Green in stride again and again and…you get the picture.
6.Just…How?
Date: 10/11/2011
Game: Big Blue All Stars v. Union College
Arena: Pulaski County High School, Somerset, Ky.
Back in 2011, while the NBA was in a lockout, Rajon Rondo and a few other superstars found another platform on which to entertain the fans and stay in shape. This group was known as the Big Blue All Stars and they played against opponents like Union College, pictured above. During this tour stop, Rondo gave the crowd something they’d never forget by connecting with Kenneth Faried on a no-look, behind-the-back alley-oop. Absolute perfection.
5.Rajon Rondo Or Tom Brady?
Date: 1/20/2013
Game: Celtics v. Pistons
Arena: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn, Mich.
Seriously, though, the way Rondo fires this one through the air and hits Avery Bradley right over the shoulder, you have to wonder which New England superstar you’re watching. How much fun must it be to play with Rondo?
4.Johnny With the Half-Court Dime
Date: 12/25/2011
Game: Celtics v. Knicks
Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York
It may look easy, but there are few in the NBA who could execute a perfect bounce pass from half-court. Marquis Daniels is not a good basketball player, folks, but this dime goes to show you that Rajon Rondo could make a one-armed muppet look like an All-Star.
3.LeBron Never Saw It Coming
Date: 5/9/2010
Game: Cavaliers v. Celtics
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
To have the wherewithal and vision to pull off this play during Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semis is, well, can we say Rondo-esque? Did we mention the game was tied? And that LeBron James was in full-flight trying to track down Rondo? This is a bad man, people.
2.Seriously, Does Rondo Have Eyes In the Back of His Head?
Date: 12/8/2010
Game: Nuggets v. Celtics
Arena: TD Garden, Boston
Yes, it definitely helps that the NBA’s most prolific three-point shooter was on the receiving end of this pass, but that has nothing to do with the vision and execution of this masterpiece. How does Rondo know Ray Allen is there? How? Like, we want an actual explanation. Rondo is on the way down when he whips this one out to Ray and it’s freakin awesome.
1.Spinning, Dishing, and Swishing
Date: 3/14/2012
Game: Celtics v. Warriors
Arena: Oracle Arena, Oakland
It’s really splitting hairs here to compare the previous assist with this one. On this play, Rondo makes a pretty spin move to get into the lane and throws the behind-the-back pass to Allen with an unbelievable amount of fluidity. Like a swan dancing across the water, Rondo executes this one like Doc drew it up during the last timeout. Rajon Rondo, we salute you.