Rajon Rondo is a divisive figure. NBA fans either love him or wish he would be rocketed off the face of the earth. There is no in between.
And that's totally fine. Rondo shined with the Boston Celtics and even won a championship there. Everywhere else he's been, he was largely a major disappointment. However, he has made a comeback of sorts with the New Orleans Pelicans recently.
But what many overlook about Rondo is just how smart of a basketball player he is. Brian Scalabrine, his former teammate, shared a story that will appear in an upcoming documentary on the 2008 Celtics that shows just how smart he is, per Chris Richardson, assistant basketball coach at the University of Central Missouri.
Great Rondo nugget from Brian Scalabrine in upcoming 2008 Celtics documentary. Talk about being locked in on the scouting report!! pic.twitter.com/A2TVruybQB
— Chris Richardson (@CRich4) June 1, 2018
That story is incredible. It's not entirely unique, as many basketball players have been chronicled as knowing the opposing team's set plays in certain situations.
But for Rondo to know what plays a team doesn't have, and to know that in the middle of the season when a game doesn't necessarily matter is a whole different thing. Rondo showed how much he prepares and how much of a true basketball junkie he really is.
Rondo has not been the best fit on most of the teams for which he has played. That much is well-documented. But if a team needs a high-IQ guy to help run a team, Rondo still might be the best player available at his position to fill a void like that.
He's not as athletic or defensively gifted as he once was. But Rondo still has his brain, and oftentimes that's all you need to make a significant impact on an NBA team.
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