Robert Parish compares his personality to Rajon Rondo's

For those old enough to remember, Robert Parish was the quiet, stoic one in the original Big 3. So much so that people wondered if he just wasn't a very nice guy. In fact, one of the reasons he ended up in Boston was because Golden State saw him as having "attitude problems."

Celtic Robert Parish to Paul Pierce: 'It is going to be awkward' - NBA - Sporting News

"Just going by what I have heard, I have heard he has a talent for being difficult," Parish said. "But you can say that about most of us. I know I had my moments. For me, if I don’t know you, I come across as being aloof and distant if I don’t know you. I am just quiet if I don’t know you. I can be very stoic looking, that’s just my facial expression. I don’t smile a lot. I come across as being arrogant and dismissive, even if that is not the case. I know what it is to be misunderstood. I can’t say for sure that’s the case with Rondo, but I can understand it if it is."

We should only be so lucky as to have Rondo have the career that Robert Parish did. Though he's got a different demeanor, I've often compared Rondo's career arc with that of Paul Pierce's as well. Immaturity issues and trade rumors early on followed up with a lot of hard work and ultimately a long successful career. Again, hopefully Rondo can duplicate that success.

Rondo is a different kind of guy, but as you can see with Parish, there's plenty of room for guys like him to thrive in the NBA with the right drive and talent.