Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo recently impressed the masses by showing off his incredible post-quarantine physique. Though he’s been far from the most consistent player for the team this season, Rondo has a reputation for taking things up a notch in the playoffs. At 34 years old, his best days are behind him and it remains to be seen if he can recapture his playoff magic after not making it last year.
Regardless, Rondo has clearly been putting in the work, and the reports coming out of Lakers practice are very positive.
“If we want to keep going with this hype machine, I had a source tell me that, within the last week — seeing Rajon Rondo — quote, unquote, ‘He looks like he’s 21 years old again. So, there is some positive momentum to this conversation,'” said ESPN’s Dave McMenamin on “Mason & Ireland.”
When Rondo was 21, he was playing high-level basketball with the Boston Celtics. If he could turn back the clock and play like an All-Star again, the Lakers could have a secret weapon on their hands.
LeBron James Teases ‘Playoff Rondo’
Like it or not, “Playoff Rondo” is a real thing. For whatever reason, he always plays his best ball in the playoffs. With the loss of Avery Bradley, the Lakers need players to step up. While fans have soured on Rondo this season, LeBron James thinks his teammate is ready for a big postseason run.
‘Bron looking forward to “Playoff Rondo”:
He looks to be in the best shape he’s ever been in. Couple that with the legend of Playoff Rondo and maybe he actually does help the Lakers get to the NBA Finals.
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Quinn Cook Has Big Claim About Rondo
Rondo has bounced around the league a lot and has played in a lot of playoff games over the years. Quinn Cook has had the opportunity to play against him in the playoffs before and had a big claim about his teammate.
“I want to say it was ESPN and they asked who was your toughest matchup in the playoffs and I was like, ‘Rondo. Not this guy, not that guy.’ Rondo was thinking two possessions ahead,” Cook said on the Dawg Talk Podcast, via Sports Illustrated. “We were playing New Orleans in the second round. He was literally calling out our plays. ‘Bron does that, too. Man, he sees the game from another level. Then when I got to see him every day, he watches the game in slow motion. He watches the coaches calls.
“He’s a basketball genius. He gives me so much every single day. Every single day he’s giving, giving, giving. Sometimes, when they see a younger guy, the majority of guys give but some guys don’t have to give. They could see the young guy as a threat. Rondo was open arms from the jump. We both went to Oak Hill [Academy in Virginia] so we have that prior relationship [as alumni]. He’s giving me all he’s had all season. He’s still giving to this day. We have an incredible relationship.”
Rondo hasn’t consistently impressed since he joined the Lakers but he could win a lot of fans over with a strong playoff showing.
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Lakers’ Rajon Rondo ‘Looks 21,’ LeBron James Teases Big Things Coming