By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A few months after officially retiring as a player, Rajon Rondo bounced back into the NBA in a different role.
Rondo, 38, joined the coaching staff of the Milwaukee Bucks and will be working with Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, his exact role remains unclear.
“You will see him a lot,” head coach Doc Rivers cryptically answered ESPN on the newest member of the staff.
Playing under Rivers for several years at the Boston Celtics, Rondo was the floor general in the 2008 championship run.
“He is the smartest player I have ever coached,” added Rivers, “He knows when to and when not to say stuff. He is a great team builder. It is just fun, and it is great to have him around.”
The former Kentucky standout, a veteran of 1,094 appearances in the NBA, seeking an opportunity to extend his connection to basketball beyond playing days was far from a secret. Becoming a coach is the next challenge. “I am learning what it looks like,” he said.
Besides becoming an NBA champion in 2008, Rondo doubled up with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He was also an NBA All-Star for four years in a row between 2009 and 2013. More individual accolades included being named in the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2010 and 2011.
He spent eight full seasons with the Celtics, before briefer spells at the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.