Rajon Rondo Revealed

Fantastic article about Rajon Rondo from Jackie MacMullan.  Just a wonderful piece of insight into his development (all the way back to college) that includes some eye-opening stories.  Here's my favorite:

"I'm just telling you, Rajon is real cocky," said center Kendrick Perkins. "He's got swagger. The good kind."

That wasn't always true. Two seasons ago, before the banners and the plaudits and applause, when Rondo was in charge of a team that won just 24 games, he'd throw a no-look bullet and when it was dropped out of bounds he'd roll his eyes in exasperation. If he set up a shooter for the open jumper and it clanged off the rim, the shooter was subjected to the Rondo stare, a look steeped in disdain and aggravation.

Rivers hauled his supposed floor leader into his office and asked him, "Do you know your teammates hate playing with you?"

Rondo displayed no emotion, but his coach's comments left him struggling to breathe.

"The point guard has to be the guy that brings energy to the team," Rivers chided him. "You can't be the guy that sucks it away. Your moodiness is affecting us. Change it."

Rondo retreated to his apartment to process Rivers' rebuke.

"It was a reality check," Rondo admitted. "I wasn't positive. If I threw a pass they didn't catch, instead of saying, 'Let's get the next one,' I'd make a face. It wasn't what I said. It was more my body language."

Needless to say, he fixed that and he's now one of the top point guards in the game.  But he still isn't a finished product.

If only, Ainge and Rivers lament, the kid would demonstrate that focus through 82 games.

"The single biggest thing with him," said Ainge, "is getting him to compete night in and night out."

Just a supremely well written, revealing look at Rajon Rondo. Don't just take the quotes I've shared. Go read the whole thing, it is well worth your time.