SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: LeBron James #23, Rajon Rondo #9, JaVale McGee #7 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk after a stop in play during a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Valley View Casino Center on September 30, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Rajon Rondo is quite smart, according to Brian Scalabrine. The former NBA player raved about the Los Angeles Lakers point guard, calling him one of the smartest players he’s been around.
“I’m really excited for him especially because he’s the smartest player that I’ve ever played with,” Brian Scalabrine tells Scoop B Radio.
“And I think LeBron is on that level as well. Both guys are brilliant basketball players and speak the same language so I’m really excited about the two of them hooking up.”
Rondo was teammates with Scalabrine in Boston with the Celtics. They teamed up with the Doc Rivers lead Celtics team that featured Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
That Celtics team won the NBA Finals in 2008.
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Rajon Rondo Praise Continues
Naismith Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman thinks the world of Rondo too!
“My relationship with Rondo is very long and very deep,” Lieberman told me Monday on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“There’s a lot of respect between us. He’s one of, if not, the smartest players that I’ve ever coached. So if you are going to coach him, you need to expect him to hold you accountable and he will. With that said, LeBron James had to find a peer that understood the game intellectually as he does. So there’s EQ (emotional intelligence) and IQ (intellectual intelligence) involved in this game and LeBron and Rondo have both.”
Lieberman also spoke about Rondo’s consistent drive and the type of mentor and role model that he is.
“So, Rondo is a great mentor and role model. I can’t tell you how many times he’s called me in the middle of the night and I’ve told him, ‘you’re gonna have to lose my number.’ And he’d say to me: ‘Hey, can we watch film when we come in,’ like can I get 6 or 7 guys?’ And I’m like: ‘You’re unbelievable.’ He’d call, 2, 3, 4 in the morning and go: ‘coach, you watching film?’ And I’d go: ‘Yeah.’ Then I actually get my computer on [and say]: ‘What is it that you want to see?’ So you can’t think like you do, you have to think the way Rondo is seeing. You have to see the game through his eyes. He’s phenomenal if he called and said: ‘Hey you want to shoot at 4 am?’ I’d say yes. So him, Rudy Gay, Demarcus Cousins, those are my guys. Whatever they needed was my responsibility.” Lieberman stated.
That’s high praise!
Lakers’ Outlook Heading Into 2019-20 Season
Six Lakers players from last season are back in the mix heading into 2019-20. This group includes the likes of LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso.
Beyond that, the team added multiple new faces in Anthony Davis, the now-injured DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers also have a new head coach in Frank Vogel. NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd headlines a list of assistant coaches in Frank Vogel’s stable.
Anthony Davis is ready for the NBA season and he has goals for himself.
“Do whatever I can to help this team win a championship,” Davis told me.
“That’s the main goal. That’s our goal and we are going to come in with the mindset that we’re all thinking. This is the year.
“We want to make sure that when we come in, we have one goal in mind and that’s to come together and win a championship.”
Training camp starts this month and the NBA preseason and regular season begin next month.
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