Getty Rajon Rondo of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rajon Rondo might have an important decision to make in free agency coming up, but in the meantime, the veteran point guard is living his best life basking in the glory of winning an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Photos and videos from Rondo’s vacation in the Maldives went viral this week, showing that the 34-year-old is enjoying his time after emerging from the NBA bubble victorious. Rondo’s girlfriend, Latoia Fitzgerald, shared the photos on her Instagram and they quickly made their way around social media.
Fitzgerald and Rondo reportedly started dating earlier this year. She gave a touching shoutout to him on Instagram following the Lakers winning the title.
“Congratulations babe! Two rings with two of the biggest franchises in the NBA!” she wrote. “A gem! A leader! A true boss!”
Rajon Rondo Will be Wanted Man in Free Agency
Rondo is expected to have multiple suitors when free agency eventually rolls around — including two in the same city. It was reported this week that the Los Angeles Clippers will have interest in bringing Rondo aboard. However, they’ll have to compete for the Lakers, who want to retain a key piece of their title-winning rotation.
The Clippers have interest in signing the Lakers’ Rajon Rondo, league sources say, and are expected to pursue Rondo when free agency opens in November
Rondo is expected to opt-out of his $2.7 million player option for next season to test the open market. Seeing as he was on a veteran’s minimum, it makes sense, especially considering his stock is high.
Rondo had his ups and downs during last season but lived up to his “Playoff Rondo” persona in the postseason. He averaged 24.7 minutes in the playoffs, rebounding from a fractured thumb he suffered during a practice in the bubble. He put up 8.9 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds during the postseason. His leadership and ability to make plays with the second unit helped the Lakers turn the tide in a handful of games.
Kendrick Perkins: Clippers Need Rajon Rondo
Rondo was very much a missing link for the Lakers off the bench, something the Clippers were very clearly missing as things fell apart in the playoffs. Former NBA champion and Rondo-teammate Kendrick Perkins thinks that the Clippers need to make landing the veteran guard a priority.
“The Clippers are missing a leader. Kawhi Leonard is not a leader, he’s a hell of a basketball player but he’s not a leader. When you look at him, when he played with the Raptors, Kyle Lowry was the leader,” Perkins said on ESPN’s The Jump. “You need a guy like Rajon Rondo, who’s the ultimate floor general that could get guys into their spots. They need Rajon Rondo like old people need soft shoes.”
An interesting way to put it, but Rondo proved this season that he’s still got plenty left in the tank and can contribute at a championship level.
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Rajon Rondo’s Vacation Photos Go Viral as He Weighs Free Agency