Rajon Rondo is one of the many reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are just two wins away from winning the NBA title. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, he once again showed his ability to raise his level of play when the stakes are highest. The 34-year-old finished with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting while adding four rebounds and 10 assists in the Lakers’ win. 

Most of his Lakers teammates are seeing “Playoff Rondo” for the first time. But one exception is Anthony Davis, who was his teammate with the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2017-2018 season. According to Davis, it was during their playoff run together when he first saw the similarity between Rondo and LeBron James:

“I had heard about it, but in 2018, against Portland, that's when I knew he was different,” the Lakers star tells ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan. “He kind of reminds me of Bron [LeBron James]. Mentally, he locks in. He watches three to four previous games and breaks down their schemes: their offense, what this guy likes to do, what they like to run, when they like to run it, who they are running it for.”

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During that season, Rondo averaged 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. But it was in the playoffs where he flashed his deadly form, helping the sixth-seeded Pelicans sweep the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers for their first series win since 2008.

Against the Blazers, Rondo increased his numbers up to 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 13.3 assists per game, shooting 48.7% from the field and a much-improved 42.9% from downtown in the series. While the Pelicans lost to the Golden State Warriors in the next round, Rondo's overall performance in the playoffs was impressive.

Rondo's terrific playoff performance has continued with the Lakers, who are looking to go up 3-0 on the Miami Heat on Sunday night.