Why Rajon Rondo is retiring two years after his last NBA game

Rajon Rondo helped the Boston Celtics beat the Lakers within the 2008 NBA Finals.

He and the Celtics misplaced to the Lakers within the 2010 NBA Finals.

He gained one other NBA title in 2020 as a member of the Lakers.

He performed in practically 1,000 video games for 9 completely different groups throughout 16 NBA seasons.

He performed his final recreation practically two years in the past.

And now Rondo has made it official — he’s retired.

Throughout an look on the “All of the Smoke” podcast that was posted Monday, the 38-year-old level guard was requested if the NBA had seen the final of him as a participant. Rondo was fast and emphatic along with his reply.

“Completely,” he instructed hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. “Yeah, I’m carried out. I’d somewhat spend time with my youngsters.”

Later within the podcast, Rondo referred to himself as “a full-time dad, at any time when I will be.”

Rondo was arrested in Indiana in January on misdemeanor costs associated to firearm and drug possession. He was pulled over after a caller reported a black 2022 Tesla that Rondo was driving was touring recklessly on I-65 southbound in Bartholomew County, in line with Indiana State Police.

Throughout the cease, the trooper smelled marijuana coming from the automobile and carried out a search, police stated. Marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a firearm have been present in Rondo’s possession, in line with police.

Police stated that Rondo is “prohibited from possessing the firearm as a consequence of him having a safety order in place in opposition to him.” A juvenile who was additionally within the automobile was launched to a member of the family, police stated.

A listening to is scheduled for June 13.

Rondo was chosen twenty first general by the Phoenix Suns within the 2006 draft however was traded the identical day to Boston, the place he spent the primary eight-plus seasons of his profession. Throughout that point, Rondo led the league in assists per recreation twice and steals as soon as. His 990 steals and 4,474 assists with the workforce rank third and fourth all-time for Celtics gamers.

After being traded to Dallas through the 2014-15 season, Rondo spent the second half of his profession bouncing from workforce to workforce, main the league in assists as a member of the Sacramento Kings in 2015-16. Following his time in Boston, Rondo spent consecutive years on the identical roster simply as soon as, with the Lakers in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He was thought of a key position participant on the LeBron James/Anthony Davis-led Lakers workforce that gained the NBA title in 2020.

Rondo cut up the next season between the Atlanta Hawks and Clippers earlier than returning to the Lakers to begin the 2021-22 season. He completed that season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, enjoying his 957th and ultimate NBA recreation on April 10, 2022.

And, Rondo instructed Barnes and Jackson, he “cherished each minute of it.”

“I admire the brotherhood that I used to be capable of share and bond and develop with over time,” Rondo stated. “I’ve discovered a lot on this recreation and it’s made me the person who I’m at present, you understand?”

He added: “I inform individuals on a regular basis, this wasn’t a dream of mine. It was a objective. I used to be capable of lock in, keep disciplined, … I understood what it took to get there and I used to be blessed and lucky to have the fitting individuals round me to maintain me going when occasions weren’t nearly as good, to persevere, understood that cream all the time rises to the highest.”