Rajon Rondo recently revealed the two NBA players he considers to be on par with him in terms of basketball IQ. As many NBA fans will be aware, Rondo is a former NBA star best known for his time with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran point guard was considered one of the best passers and floor generals during his prime and has two NBA titles on his resume proving it.
Although there is no denying the talent and skill that Rondo displayed on the basketball court, fans should certainly be interested in finding out which two players he believes to have a similar level of talent and skill. Since Rondo has played with several high-tier NBA players throughout his career, knowing who he has ahead of the others in terms of basketball IQ is very important.
With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more about what Rondo had to say. Interested fans can also stick around to see if he forgot to mention any other important NBA star.
Raj0n Rondo opines that only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant rival his basketball genius
Veteran NBA fans will remember that Rondo spent the first half of his career with the Boston Celtics and managed to help them win a title in 2008. With a team consisting of stars like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics managed to defeat Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals.
However, Rondo and the Boston Celtics ended up losing in the 2010 NBA Finals to Kobe and the Lakers. Since he has played against Bryant on the most pressure-filled platform in all of basketball, Rondo has learned to admire the basketball IQ and genius displayed by the Black Mamba.
Rajon Rondo also faced off against LeBron James several times throughout his career. More importantly, he got to play alongside King James on the Lakers when they won the 2020 NBA title. Having observed LeBron as both a rival and teammate urged Rondo to add him and Bryant to the list.
Rajon Rondo says Kobe Bryant & LeBron James were the only two NBA players as smart as him on the court in his career.
Three basketball geniuses 💯
Via. @OldManAndThree pic.twitter.com/myDIiVElk1
— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) September 17, 2023
While there is no denying that Rondo saw Kobe Bryant and LeBron James at their peak, some NBA players might feel snubbed from his exclusive list. Especially stars like Ray Allen, who is regarded as one of the greatest shooters in league history.
Rondo also had a brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks. That means he got to play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, another NBA legend in his own rights. However, Rajan clearly doesn’t believe that Dirk or Ray measure up to him in terms of basketball IQ. Especially when compared to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.