In begrudging awe of a true original
Hate is a strong word. It permeates precarious minds with dangerous ideas. In the real world- the one in which actions tend to have consequences- those who act upon hatred are prone to regretting it. Luckily for us, we have sports to exercise our inner hate-mongers without fear of repercussions.
That was an admittedly convoluted way to make one simple statement: I hate Rajon Rondo. Always have. Every since his days as a Kentucky Wildcat, Rondo has held a special spot on my mantle of ‘Guys I Love to Hate’ along with Alonzo Mourning, and Jorge Posada . We all have the same mantle, even if the characters are different. As his NBA career began I, like most, was in awe of his stunning speed and raw talent, yet his body language and constant holier-than-thou facial expressions infuriated me. He reminded me of a privileged rich kid who complains because the car his daddy bought him doesn’t have leather seats. Plus, he kind of looks like an alien (hey, it’s my mantle).
However, throughout the course of the 2009-2010 season, my opinion on Rondo has gradually changed. I still don’t like him, but now, as a basketball player, I can’t help but respect what he’s accomplished, and, more importantly, the way he has gone about it. During the 2009 playoffs, he looked as if he was ready to step up and take control of a Boston Celtic team badly in need of fresh blood, but lacked the confidence to emerge from his role as the young pup on a team of old dogs. Nowadays, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rondo has been impressive all season as the on-court leader of a fifty-win Celtic team, but his performance throughout the 2010 playoffs- culminating in his ludicrous 29 point-18 assist-13 rebound performance in Sunday’s Game Four versus Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers- has officially catapulted Rondo onto the next level of elite NBA point guards, firmly entrenched amongst the likes of Steve Nash, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul. This season Rondo has already broken Bob Cousy’s single season assists record, averaging 9.8 per game, earned his first All-Star bid, and is only getting better. But more impressive than any statistical accomplishment, Rondo has breathed life into a Boston Celtic team that had been left for dead as recently as two weeks ago.
What separates Rondo from his newfound contemporaries is his unique style of play. While other point guards all boast similar skill sets, Rajon Rondo is a true original. His jump shot is improving, but is still shoddy (despite going shot-for-shot against Kevin Durant in the HORSE competition at All-Star Weekend), so instead Rondo relies on dribble penetration, smooth tear drops and reverse layups, an uncanny ability to collect rebounds from the point guard position, and a series of bounce and lob passes off the dribble. Rajon Rondo’s game is so unlike any other current NBA player (and so incredibly effective) that as much as I love to hate him, the basketball lover inside of me is making it awfully difficult. Regardless of whether or not the Celtics can close out their series with the Cavs, Rajon Rondo is here to stay. NBA, you’ve been warned.
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