Former Kings guard Rondo officially retires after 16 NBA seasons originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Former Kings point guard Rajon Rondo calls it a career.
The 16-year NBA veteran officially announced his retirement on Tuesday during an appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast.
When asked by host Matt Barnes if his NBA career was over, the 38-year-old Rondo replied, “Of course.” “Yes, I'm done. I can't do that. I want to spend time with my kids.”
Rondo was a four-time All-Star (2010-13) and a two-time NBA champion (2008, 2020), but last played in the NBA in 2022 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“What a time. I never took it for granted when I was in the game,” Rondo said. “I have loved every moment of this game and am grateful for the brotherhood that we have been able to share, bond and grow over the years. I have learned so much in this game and It's made me the person I am today. … “I always tell people, this wasn't my dream, it was my goal. I could protect myself, be disciplined, I didn't party much in college, but it was worth the sacrifice for me to get to where I wanted to go in life. ”
Rondo played in 957 regular season games, averaging 9.8 points, 7.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Defensive team four times and led the NBA in assists three times.
The 6-foot-1 Rondo was drafted 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Boston Celtics on the same night in 2006. He spent his first nine seasons in Boston, serving as the team's starting point guard during the team's 2008 title run. Run. Rondo helped the Celtics return to the Finals in 2010 and was named an All-Star. Rondo had 10 triple-doubles in 92 playoff games with the Celtics, averaging 14.5 points, 9.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game.
After the Celtics dismantled their core by trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2013, Rondo became the team's leader. However, he played in only 30 games in the 2013-14 season because he suffered a torn ACL the year before. He appeared in 22 games the following season and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2014.
Rondo's run with Dallas didn't last long, appearing in 46 games before leaving as a free agent in 2015. Over the next three seasons, Rondo played one year with the Kings, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Pelicans.
In 2018, Rondo teamed up with former rival LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, spending two seasons in Los Angeles and winning the bubble-era NBA Finals in 2020 while playing nearly 25 minutes per game off the bench. did. This made Rondo the second player to win titles with both the Celtics and Lakers, following Hall of Famer Clyde Lovellette (Lakers in 1954, Celtics in 1963 and '64).
Rondo's final two seasons were split between four teams. He signed with the Atlanta Hawks for the 2020-21 season and was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In what turned out to be his final season, he returned to the Lakers before being traded to the Cavaliers.
