RAJON RONDO

NBA point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers

After catching his break with the Wildcats, Rajon Rondo has built a legacy as a perennial all-star point guard and playmaker who has led two different NBA teams to championship glory.

Born in 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo cultivated his athletic abilities through the support of his mother. Even though he showed an early interest in playing football, his mother encouraged him to use his agility on the court. As a student athlete at Eastern High School, Rondo excelled in shooting, assisting, and leading his team. From this success, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy and continued his rise as an elite young player. His time at Oak Hill would culminate in an invitation to play on the McDonald’s All-American Team in 2004. 

His performance in high school earned him national scouting attention as he neared graduation. Returning to the Bluegrass, Rondo attended the University of Kentucky and immediately found a place as a starter. As a playmaker and master facilitator of assists, then-coach Tubby Smith realized his potential. In his second season at UK, he led the team in assists and also served as a point-scoring threat. He would decide to leave after his first two seasons because of mounting interest from NBA teams.

Drafted 21st in the NBA draft in 2006 originally by the Phoenix Suns, Rondo was immediately traded to the Celtics. Despite the team’s lackluster results in his first season, he became a regular starter and assist leader. In his second season, results would turn around, leading to the Celtics victory in the NBA finals over the Los Angeles Lakers. 

This first championship would propel the Celtics as title contenders for the next several years. The team would consistently make the playoffs and appeared in the finals again in 2010, when they were defeated in seven games by the Lakers. 

After consistently leading the league in and setting records for single-game and season-long assists, Rondo was traded to the Mavericks in 2015. He had a short run there, and then e spent the next three years at the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans. In 2018, he joined his former rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. This move would prove immensely successful, as he won the championship with the team in 2020.

Now with the Atlanta Hawks, he continues to be a threat on the court. When he isn’t assisting his teammates, he’s helping his home community through the Rajon Rondo Foundation, which gives food aid to marginalized and underserved people.