Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant are cut from the same cloth.
This isn’t to suggest Rondo is or will be among the greatest players in NBA history, even though the point guard has had his moments. It’s to say that both are ultra-competitive, which Rondo highlighted while discussing his lasting memories of Bryant, who is set to retire after this season.
“One of the best competitors of all time that I’ve ever played against,” Rondo told ESPN.com’s Baxter Holmes on Tuesday. “Even watching him against LeBron (James) the other day, (Bryant) might be of age, when it’s time to compete and the lights are on, he always shows up … even when he didn’t play well.”
Rondo, now a member of the Sacramento Kings, faced Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals twice during his nine seasons with the Boston Celtics. They developed a mutual respect over the years, even having breakfast together on Beacon Hill in Boston during the 2014-15 season, just weeks before Rondo was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
“I don’t have a lot of friends,” Rondo told Holmes, reflecting on the famous Beantown breakfast. “I’m just friends with a lot of (a-holes): Kobe, DeMarcus (Cousins), Josh Smith, Big Baby (Glen Davis). We’re the same kind.
“What I love about all of us is we’re competitors on and off the court. Hate to lose. I’m not going to say there’s not many competitors in this game, but there’s a certain kind of way you compete at that level and you have respect for one another.”
So, what specific moment involving Bryant stands out most to Rondo? Amazingly, for all of the success they’ve had throughout their respective careers, Rondo remembers Bryant pointing in his face during a heated Celtics-Lakers game.
“I can’t say what he said,” Rondo said with a smile, according to Holmes. “I thrive off of that. I wanted the challenge. He pissed me off a little bit when he did that. I felt disrespected and I wanted to go back at him — and we beat ’em. Then two years later they beat us.”
The NBA will lose one of the greats when Bryant walks away later this year. Rondo will need to help carry the torch in the competitive “(a-hole)” department when that time comes.
