“Playoff Rondo” was on full display again on Wednesday, as Los Angeles Lakers veteran point guard Rajon Rondo had another effective outing for L.A. The 34-year-old helped his team secure a huge Game 1 win against the Miami Heat, which rightfully earned the praises of Lakers teammate LeBron James.

LeBron was asked as to why he believes Rondo is able to consistently step up his level of play during the postseason:

“You don’t get these moments a lot,” James said, via Broderick Turner of Yahoo Sports. “It’s been over a decade since he’s been in the Finals. I think he just cherishes the moment, but also just playing the game that he loves to play in a cerebral way, a determined way and a championship way.”

Rondo did not exactly stuff the stat sheet on Wednesday, finishing with seven points, three rebounds, and four assists in 25 minutes of action. As we've seen many times in the past, however, Rondo's contributions for his team goes way beyond the box score, and Game 1 against Miami was no exception.

As LeBron James described above, the last time Rondo was in the playoffs was in 2010 with the Boston Celtics. Ironically, the C's faced off against the Lakers in that memorable Finals matchup, with Kobe Bryant leading the way for the Purple & Gold for title number 17 in franchise history.

Rondo, James, and the rest of this current Lakers squad now look to make it 18 championships for this storied franchise. After their imposing Game 1 victory, L.A. is now just three wins away from bagging another chip. Should they succeed in doing the same, they certainly have Rondo to thank for being one of the key pieces in the team this term.