Almost immediately after being drafted by the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart said that Rajon Rondo reminded him of himself. Now, Rondo has said the same about Smart.
Of course, that’s entirely the problem in some people’s eyes.
The Celtics’ decision to take a point guard with the No. 6 pick in the 2014 NBA draft raised some eyebrows and sparked speculation that Rondo could be on the move. While Smart, Celtics coach Brad Stevens and team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge have said repeatedly that they believe a Rondo-Smart backcourt pairing can work, many observers are not convinced.
Rondo, for his part, does not sound concerned. The four-time All-Star did not take Smart’s selection as a threat to his place with the only NBA franchise he has ever known, he told Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe.
“No, that’s fine,” Rondo told the Globe. “I don’t have too many feelings involved in this business. I’ve played my heart out for the game, but business is business. I can be here today, gone tomorrow. You never know. For me to get bent out of shape, or to feel threatened by the Celtics drafting a point guard, it means nothing.”
Ainge did not consult with Rondo before picking Smart, and while he did say last season that he would like input on future personnel decisions, Rondo told the Globe that he did not expect any such consultation in this case.
“I don’t think nothing of it,” Rondo said. “I am who I am.”
