Rajon Rondo recently appeared on View From The Rafters and made an eye-opening admission about the 2011 NBA playoffs.
Rondo, who was the Celtics point guard at the time, suffered an elbow injury during the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Miami Heat during the 2011 postseason. He endured the injury after getting tangled up with Heat star Dwyane Wade during Game 3 of the series.
However, Rondo believes Wade “broke” his elbow “on purpose” during the play in question, via Celtics writer Noa Dalzell.
Celtics: Rondo's admission
“That particular play, it was kind of a freak accident,” Rondo said on the podcast. “We (Wade and Rondo) were teammates after that, so there's no bad blood, but I think he broke it on purpose. Or tried.”
Dalzell also provided video of the incident from the Celtics-Heat Game 3 affair:
Here’s the play – Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2011, Celtics vs Miami. https://t.co/i0yNU2pXym pic.twitter.com/vzN4e6SlzH
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) December 27, 2023
Rondo mentioned that there is no “bad blood” between himself and Wade. He doesn't think the Heat were scheming to injure him by any means. However, Rondo doesn't think it was a basketball play.
“He was playing, made a play on the ball, or tried to make a play on the ball and ended up making a play on my elbow.”
Rondo ultimately suffered a dislocated elbow as a result of the incident. The former Celtics point guard also commented on playing in the series after enduring the injury.
“Adrenaline,” Rondo said of how he played through the pain. “Just like every other injury. For me, it was a mindset. I went back in the locker room… they're trying to tell me I shouldn't play. I'm like, ‘I gotta go. I'll be back later. We can figure this out a couple weeks from now.'”
Rondo was one of the best point guards in the NBA during his time with the Celtics. He made four All-Star teams and helped Boston consistently reach the playoffs.
His tenacity and leadership on the court stood out. Rondo didn't always record the best scoring numbers, but he was one of the best passers in the league without question.
So when Rondo went down with the injury in 2011, the Celtics were fearful for the remainder of the series. However, Rondo clearly did not want to miss any time.
It will be interesting to see if Wade responds to Rondo's take on the injury.
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