The things looked a little brighter for the New Orleans Pelicans. They have arguably the best frontcourt in the league and have just added a veteran point guard in Rajon Rondo who knows how to tie loose ends. Well, bad news came on Monday from the Pelicans’ coach Alvin Gentry. According to Gentry, Rondo could undergo a surgery in order to repair a sports hernia. The final verdict about this will come on Monday when Rondo is scheduled to visit a specialist in Philadelphia. Gentry said he doesn’t know how long Rondo will be off the court in case the surgery is needed.
“Best I’ve been around in 30 years in the league as far as a guy who really takes young players under his wing and tries to teach them,” – Gentry said while discussing Rondo’s importance to the team. “He’s just a great leader to have on your team. If you want to have a mentor in this league, I would suggest him.”
Rajon Rondo was originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2006 NBA draft (21st overall pick) but was immediately traded to the Boston Celtics. After a semi-successful rookie season in which he was a backup, Rondo emerged as a starting point guard for the Boston Celtics in 2008. He had a strong season in which he averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Playing alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, Rondo was particularly impressive in the playoffs, managing to win an NBA title. After 7 more years with the Celtics, Rondo was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2014. After his contract expired the following year, Rondo signed with the Sacramento Kings on a one year deal. In 2016, he joined the Chicago Bulls and formed a partnership with Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. The Bulls entered the playoffs and were up against the first seeded Boston Celtics. In the game 2 of the series, Rondo suffered a broken thumb and didn’t play for the rest of the series. Missing Rondo, the Bulls lost 4 straight games, after being 2-0. After the rebuilding Bulls waived him, Rondo signed one-year, $3.3 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.
