Longtime NBA point guard Rajon Rondo confirmed during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (YouTube link) that he has retired as an NBA player.
Asked by Barnes if his NBA career is over, Rondo replied, “Absolutely,” adding that he wants to focus on spending time with his kids.
Rondo, 38, last played in the league during the 2021/22 season when he appeared in 39 total games for the Lakers and Cavaliers. He played in 957 regular season games and 134 additional postseason contests over the course of 16 years in the NBA, winning titles in 2008 with the Celtics and 2020 with the Lakers.
Rondo was never an elite scorer, but was a talented play-maker and defender who led the league in assists per game three times and made four All-Defensive teams. He also earned All-Star nods in four consecutive seasons in Boston from 2010-13 and was named to the All-NBA third team in 2012.
After spending the first eight-and-a-half years of his career with the Celtics, the former 21st overall out of Kentucky was traded to the Mavericks and spent the next several years bouncing around the NBA. In addition to Boston, Dallas, Cleveland and the Lakers, Rondo also suited up for the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans, Hawks, and Clippers.
The veteran point guard finished his career with regular season averages of 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 29.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .456/.324/.611. He earned approximately $118MM in salary over the course of his career, per Basketball-Reference.
While his playing time and production declined in his later seasons, Rondo’s exit from the NBA may have been expedited by a series of legal issues in recent years. Most recently, he was arrested in Indiana this January for unlawful possession of a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.
Rondo HOF or just a future coach? Discuss.
He needed a couple of more productive years to compile some numbers for the HOF. I don’t see coaching in his immediate future, he’s had quite a few transgressions.
In the real world, Rondo is far from a HOFer. But then, the B-Ball HOF seems to let just about anyone in. Coach? He can’t even handle himself. It would be like making Latrell Sprewell a coach.
An absolute pleasure to watch when he was at his peak. He and Perk did so much dirty work in 2007, from then on he was the best player on that celtic team that had 3 obvious HOF players. That play against Orlando in the playoffs…my God!
Rondo needs to focus on avoiding physical confrontations in public.
You sure know a lot about basketball.
One of the most entertaining to watch ever in his prime. His playoff battles with the LeBron Heat were so epic.
That 2008 Celtics championship was the high point of all those Celtics players’ careers. (Well, Ray Allen did win another in Miami.) It is one of my favorite teams of all time. Rondo was the perfect PG for that team and for Doc Rivers. A thinking man and player, Rondo had a unique approach to the game.
I wish the Celctics had had better luck in 2009 and repeated. I also wish that Rondo had found success again in the remainder of his career instead of quietly going out like he did. It was still a career that many players would love to have had.
I offer Rondo my congratulations on his NBA career, and all the best in retirement.
He’s a decent hooper but a piece of crap person. Screw Rondo, at least until he gets the help he needs.
Go take a nap. Maybe you’ll feel better.