Rajon Rondo Announces Retirement From NBA

Rajon Rondo has announced his retirement from the NBA. The four-time All-Star made the announcement during an appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast saying, "Yeah, I'm done" when asked about his NBA future.

Rondo last played during the 2021-22 season, as he split time between the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. When "All the Smoke" host Matt Barnes asked if his NBA career was over, Rondo responded, "Absolutely. Yeah, I'm done. I can't. I'd rather spend time with my kids."

The 38-year-old guard played with nine different franchises during his 16-year career. He's most remembered for his eight-plus seasons with the Boston Celtics where he ran point for the franchise's 2008 championship team. After two years at Kentucky, the Phoenix Suns selected Rondo with the 21st pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. The Celtics acquired him on draft night, in what turned out to be a steal.

During his years in Boston, Rondo was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Team four times, led the league in assists twice and was named All-NBA in 2012. He also won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 as a key rotational piece for their title run in the COVID bubble.

For his career, Rondo averaged 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists in 957 games. He'll be remembered as a phenomenal defender and a top-tier passer who set the table for players around him.

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer at The Big Lead.