Former Wildcat, 16-year NBA veteran Rajon Rondo calls it a career
Former Kentucky guard and 16-year NBA veteran Rajon Rondo has officially called it a career.
“I’d rather spend time with my kids,” Rondo said during an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. “What a time.
Definitely something I never took for granted while I was in the game. I loved every minute of it, and I appreciate the brotherhood I was able to share, and bond and grow with over the years. I learned so much in this game, and it’s made me the man who I am today.”
The 38-year-old is currently a full-time student taking both online and in-person classes at the University of Kentucky, where he had reportedly been working toward joining John Calipari’s staff as a student assistant.
Rondo, who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2021-22 season, was 4-time All-Star (2010-13), a Third Team All-NBA selection (2012), and a 4-time All-Defensive Team selection (2009-12), a 3-time NBA assist leader (2012-13, 2016) and an NBA steals leader (2010).
He ranks seventh all-time in NBA history in playoff assists with 1,136 and 14th all-time in career assists with 7,584.
Rondo spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics, winning an NBA championship in 2008.
After bouncing around from the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans over four years, the helped the Los Angeles Lakers win another NBA championship alongside fellow former Wildcat Anthony Davis during the “bubble” season in 2020.
He then had stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers and back with the Lakers. He saw his last NBA action with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021-22, averaging 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 19.4 minutes over 21 games.
Prior to Reed Sheppard in 2023, Rondo was the last homegrown McDonald’s All-American to sign with Kentucky in 2004, averaging 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists over two seasons at Kentucky.
As a freshman in 2004-05, Rondo set the school’s single-season steals record with 87 en route to being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in helping lead the Wildcats to a 28-6 record and an appearance in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.
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