Former Los Angeles Lakers players LeBron James Rajon Rondo are two of the smartest to ever play the game of basketball. And that intelligence was on full display when the two shared the court together for two seasons from 2018-20 and won an NBA championship alongside one another with the Lakers.
Rondo is one of the best pure point guards the game of basketball has ever seen. The four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion averaged over 11 assists per game in four seasons, leading the league three times. In L.A. during his age-32 and 33 seasons, those numbers decreased. But the astronomical IQ was still undeniable.
Because of that, there easily could have been issues over who would spend more time initiating the offense during the championship run, Rondo or James. But it was Rondo’s mindset that helped make the duo a highly successful one, especially as he knew where the Lakers star ranks on the all-time leaderboard.
“I knew my role at the time. We’re two alphas, but at the same time, I pride myself on being a star role player,” Rondo said on The Draymond Green Show. “So, for me, I fell in line. I knew what it was. It was no ego beating the chest, it was I’m going to have an opinion, which he always respected along with the coaching staff. So it was always just a hell of a lot of respect we had for each other. Nobody takes care of their body like him. He’s arguably the greatest player of all time, he was very disciplined. He goes over and beyond what the average, or even some of the great NBA players have done.”
Rondo and James were a shockingly good fit together in L.A., and one of the reasons for that was a very clear dynamic between the two that allowed them to do what they do best on a court. Rondo served as an incredible secondary initiator while James was able to run the offense.
And that wouldn’t have been possible if Rondo had felt he deserved a bigger role. He had been the primary initiator of offenses for nearly his entire career up to that point. But he knew that sharing a court with James meant deferring to him.
When is LeBron James returning to play Lakers?
Now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, James will return to play the Lakers on Christmas Day during the 2026-27 season, which will be his only trip back to Crypto.com Arena barring an NBA Finals matchup.
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