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Everyone knows that Rajon Rondo is the captain of the Boston Celtics, but he will most likely not be named as the formal captain of the team. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com says that Brad Stevens prefers not to formally designate a leader, which means for the first time in 63 years -- yes, 63 years -- the Celtics will not have a formal captain
Boston Celtics don't need 'C' to know Rajon Rondo leads
So even as Stevens has earned the trust and respect of his new players over the past 3-plus months, it's been important to have Rondo here in camp to echo his coach's message. Despite being limited in what he can do on the floor -- participating sparingly in non-contact shooting drills and skeleton work -- Rondo is often right in the heart of the action when practice opens to reporters and always advising the players on the floor.But Stevens firmly believes that leaders naturally lead and that there doesn't need to be a formal designation for everyone to know that Rondo is the one guiding this Celtics squad.
No, Rondo helped hang a banner that decorates a corner of the team's practice facility. He knows what it takes to achieve the ultimate team goal, the one that Stevens hopes is the end result of the process that he and Rondo are just beginning to navigate together.
I might sound like a Brad Stevens fanboy, but once again, I totally agree with his philosophy to not formally name a captain. I always thought that it was a silly title that didn't really mean a whole lot. Yes, it can be an honor to get designated as a captain -- especially on the Celtics -- but is it really necessary? A captain doesn't need a title to be a leader, because a true captain will lead no matter what.
As Forsberg points out, Rondo is the captain anyway because his teammates all respect him. Throughout the offseason, young players Phil Pressey and Avery Bradley have said Rondo has helped them develop as point guards. With Rondo out until at least December, Pressey and Bradley will have a larger role on the team, but Rondo will still be there on the sideline helping them along. Isn't that what a captain does? I'd say so, which means he doesn't need his coach to superficially name him as one. Rajon Rondo's teammates have already done that by showing him the respect that a true captain calls for.