Courtesy of Daniel Shirey / USA TODAY Sports
Lots of media buzz was created when Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo shared breakfast with LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Neither the Celtics nor the Lakers are having enjoyable seasons, and both Rondo and Bryant are finally faced with the harsh reality of what it feels like to be a one-man show on a professional basketball team.
It’s incredibly difficult, and rarely leads to great success.
With the breakfast, speculation ensued that maybe, just maybe, Rondo was considering making a move to the Lakers in the near future to join the likes of Kobe Bryant and play for the other most storied franchise in NBA history.
Not a bad gig, if you ask me.
But other things should be Rondo’s main focus rather than playing under more bright lights and among the stars. Here are three reasons you will never see Rondo in purple and gold:
1. Rondo’s Post-Season Hopes Are Better With Boston
Los Angeles is practically all but already eliminated from the NBA Playoffs this year. Even with Kobe Bryant and other standout Nick Young, the Lakers are an awful 5-15.The lowest seed in the West as it stands at this point in the season is the Phoenix Suns (12-8) who are a solid seven games ahead of allowing LA to sneak in.
Behind Phoenix? Sacramento, Denver, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Utah, and THEN the Lakers.
LA stands near dead last as the worst team in the West, only in front of the Minnesota Timberwolves who only trail the Lakers by one game.
On the Celtics side of things, there’s still hope for a playoff berth. The eighth seed in the East is currently held by the Brooklyn Nets (8-10). The only thing in between the Nets and Celtics for that final spot is the Orlando Magic, a team currently just two games ahead of dear Boston.
Rondo better not move if he still wants to be on the court come May and June.
2. Kobe Is On His Way Out
At best, the legendary Kobe Bryant only has one or two more seasons left in him–assuming he stays completely healthy. At 36, Bryant has been in the league since 1996 whereas Rondo is only 28 and still has some life in him.
If Rondo were to join the Lakers, LA would surely want to make a deal like that worth their time and money–in other words, no short contract. If Rondo were to commit to something like that, he’d be stuck playing with the likes of Jeremy Lin (who has been a dud this season), Nick Young (whose swag couldn’t save even the Lakers), and a deflated city with soaring expectations.
That is much more than what is asked of Rondo in Boston.
People understand that with Rondo’s current position, it is hard to have massive success at the NBA level. Rondo played alongside future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, unfortunately, neither player is in a Celtics uniform, and before you know it, they’ll be old news and Rondo will still be making headlines.
3. Rondo Would Fit In Better Elsewhere
Kobe Bryant has made it clear that his patience is running thin with the extremely poor performances. Depending on how this season goes, Kobe could just retire at the end of this year to put an end to the frustration and ailment. Rajon Rondo doesn’t want any of that headache, I assure you.
Boston’s pieces to a potential boom and rebuild include young players like Cody Zeller, Kelly Olynyk, and veteran Jeff Green. Green’s play has been noticeably more physical when Rondo began getting more and more comfortable with how the new Celtics offense was going to spread out and run. If Rondo sticks it out with Boston, especially the way the East has been going (weaker with a better post-season chance for mediocre teams), it could pay huge dividends for him.
But we’ll just have to wait and see.
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