Rajon Rondo spent the first eight-plus years of his NBA career suiting up for the Boston Celtics.
During that time, he evolved from an overlooked collegiate point guard with clear deficiencies to a legitimate floor general to a four-time All-Star, four-time All-Defensive selection, and NBA champion.
Most of all, he was a beloved figure in Boston. In spite of his gritty persona, Rondo’s presence was a welcomed sight alongside Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen during the original “Big Three” years, culminating with the franchise's latest title in 2008.
Since being traded away from Boston during the 2014-2015 campaign, Rondo has played for four different teams in four consecutive seasons: the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans.
However, through his words and actions after leaving Boston, it appears as though Rondo still holds a special place in his heart for the organization that drafted him and rallied behind him for nearly a decade.
Recently weighing in on the drama surrounding Isaiah Thomas’ tribute video coinciding with Paul Pierce’s jersey retirement night, Rondo had some harsh words about Thomas and his legacy as a Celtic.
"What has he done?" Rondo recently asked regarding IT, per Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
"This is the Boston Celtics," the Pelicans guard added. "This isn't the Phoenix Suns; no disrespect to any other organization, but you don’t hang conference titles. Do we hang going to the conference finals? What do we hang here?”
Thomas spent just two seasons in Boston. Although he was undoubtedly the face of the franchise and carried the team on his back over that span, it appears as though Rondo doesn’t feel that he’s worthy of being honored with a video tribute by the organization.
Boston played a tribute video for Rondo during his return as a member of the Mavs in 2015. Set to the tune of Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars”, it showed Rondo’s rise within the organization, his special personal moments, playoff triumphs, highlight-reel assists and patented up-fake layups.
The opening of that video showed the following quote by Rondo: ”My time in Boston has meant so much. The love I have for the most loyal and supportive fans is unmatched."
It appears as though Rondo still holds quite a bit of love for the Celtics and their fan base. Since he's 31 years old and has bounced around since leaving Boston, he may even end up back where he started before he retires.