Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo moved into sole possession of 17th place on the all-time assists list with a dish in the first quarter of Wednesday's game versus the Utah Jazz. His 7,037th assist moves him past San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker.
Next up for Rondo is Tim Hardaway, whom he should pass in the coming weeks. Extrapolating out for season averages, Rondo is in line to get as high as 13th on the list this season, which would put him in rarefied point guard air.
While not the dominant assist producer that he once was, Rondo can still dish out dimes with the best of them. During his heyday with the Boston Celtics, Rondo led the league in assists twice (2011-12, '12-13), in addition to doing so once with the Sacramento Kings (2015-16).
Now, Rondo has embraced his role as the Lakers' backup point guard, ceding way to LeBron James, who not only ranks ahead of him for 10th on the all-time list, but also enters play Wednesday leading the league with 10.8 helpers on a nightly basis.
A first-round pick of the Phoenix Suns back in 2006, Rondo has established himself as one of the premier point guards of his generation, becoming a four-time All-Star, four-time All-Defensive selection and one-time NBA champion.
Whether his body of work equals up to a nod to the Hall of Fame remains to be seen, but what goes without question is that Rondo is one of the best at setting up others to score in the history of the game.