<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/milwaukee-bucks/rajon-rondo-boosting-bucks-title-chances-giannis-antetokounmpo-urgency');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Rajon Rondo is boosting Bucks’ title chances amid Giannis Antetokounmpo urgency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/How-Rajon-Rondo-is-boosting-Bucks-title-chances-amid-Giannis-urgency-.jpg"></figure><h1>How Rajon Rondo is boosting Bucks’ title chances amid Giannis Antetokounmpo urgency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-09T11:23:49-08:00">November 9th, 11:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-09T11:23:49-08:00">November 9th, 11:23am</time><address><a>Mitchell Keller</a>Mitchell Keller is a career journalist and content creator, having worked for premier sports leagues in North America and Australia. A Milwaukee resident and Wisconsin native, he brings his experience to ClutchPoints as the Milwaukee Bucks Reporter, focusing on stories meaningful to the fanbase and the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MILWAUKEE – As head coach Doc Rivers works to reshape the Milwaukee Bucks back into championship form, one of his top priorities has been sharpening the team’s young guard room to better complement franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-breaks-silence-on-recent-trade-rumors">future with the team remains uncertain</a>. To do it, Rivers turned to a former floor general he trusts as much as any he has coached: Rajon Rondo.</p><p>“He was with us last year, and I called him this summer and I said, ‘Hey, we need you involved, around.’ And he’s been fantastic,” Rivers said after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-how-overcame-impatient-offense-nba-cup-win-over-bulls">Milwaukee’s 126-110 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday</a> — their first group-play game of the NBA Cup.</p><p>Rondo, a two-time NBA champion and potential Hall of Famer, began his career with Rivers and the Boston Celtics in 2006. After serving as a consultant for the Bucks last season, he’s back this year in an expanded role as a “coaching associate” – a mentor and real-time strategist embedded with the team’s backcourt.</p><p>But exactly how is he shaping the play of this Bucks roster, and could he be the key to helping return Milwaukee to title form?</p><h2><b>What’s Rajon Rondo’s role with Bucks?</b></h2><p>“Last year I was more in a consulting role,” Rondo told Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo on the latter’s <a href="https://youtu.be/qDzbaK7vsTc?si=frWrKSDm7X-fKosv" rel="noopener">Thanalysis podcast</a>, which aired Nov. 5. “[This year], I’m around more and I’m able to be on the bench… I’m able to talk to the guys, and my biggest strength is to be able to help the guys [make] in-game adjustments on the fly.”</p><p>That on-bench presence and the real-time influence could be significant and boost the Bucks to a championship level of play.</p><p>That in-game presence has quickly become an extension of Rivers’ mission. Rondo said his philosophy is simple: do the thinking for the guards, so the game slows down for them.</p><p>“Let me do all the thinking for you. I’ll put you in the right spots. I’ll put the other guys in the right spots, so the game is easier for you,” Rondo said.</p><p>His influence was visible in Milwaukee’s win over Chicago. Ryan Rollins –  thrust into a lead-guard role after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-kevin-porter-jr-knee-surgery-ankle-rehab">Kevin Porter Jr.’s injury</a> – finished with 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting, plus six rebounds, four assists, and three steals against just one turnover.</p><p>Rivers pointed directly to Rondo’s hands-on film work as a driving force behind the progress for Rollins and the backcourt.</p><p>“[Rondo] watches tons of film,” Rivers said. “And I love it, because he’s chasing [the players] down on the road. Guys are trying to get away, and he finds them, ‘No, no, no. We’re going to watch film first.’”</p><h2><b>Rondo leads by example with Bucks’ young talent</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Cole-Anthony-ejected-from-Kings-game-after-Russell-Westbrook-play.jpg"><figcaption>Benny Sieu-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Rondo’s focus isn’t limited to Rollins. He’s also working with newcomer Cole Anthony, the former Orlando Magic guard signed by Milwaukee in the offseason</p><p>“Him being in the particular role now with a coach like Doc Rivers – a point guard’s dream – to be able to have the ball, create plays, and play with a guy, one of the most dominant guys who ever played the game in Giannis Antetokounmpo… the sky’s the limit,” Rondo said.</p><p>That mentorship revolves around precision and timing.</p><p>“The loft on the ball, the trajectory of how he’s getting to him. That’s what I used to do with my guys,” Rondo said. “Get [them] an easy bucket. You don’t have to work as hard. Just run to your spot, I’ll get it right to you and make it easy for you.”</p><p>The setup with Rondo allows Rivers to focus on broader schemes while Rondo handles micro-level instruction.</p><p>“We’ve kind of created a guard pool,” Rivers said. “Him and Ryan, Cole, and Scoot [Kevin Porter Jr.]… they just sit and watch. He’s been great for me because I call him, and I’ll say, ‘Hey, I tried to run three ATOs, they didn’t see this. I explain it to Rondo, and then he does it. They hear my voice all the time. It’s great for them to hear someone else.”</p><h2><b>Rondo says communication is key to Bucks guards’ success</b></h2><p>One theme Rondo returns to often is communication; a simple, but often overlooked, key to smarter basketball.</p><p>“Watching film with Ryan Rollins… and I found myself telling him, ‘You have to talk every possession. You have to,’” Rondo said. “My job as a coach is to get you to understand what you need to say… because again, most players right now don’t know what the hell to say. So, they don’t say anything and then you’re on the court and it’s mute and now the pickle happens and… now it’s too late.”</p><p>That communication emphasis is part of the Bucks’ broader push to become a smarter, more connected team.</p><p>And for Rondo, vocal players are winning players, but open communication also breeds something else: camaraderie. Digging into the psychological, Rondo suggested he also helps cultivate a brotherhood that, he said, can breed champions.</p><p>“Teams who care about each other win,” he said.</p><p>So far, Rondo’s impact has been felt across the organization – not just the guard room and coaches’ offices. Milwaukee forward <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfNIh699A8Q">Bobby Portis said of Rondo</a>, “Shoutout to Rondo, watching film… Rondo’s been big for our guards this year. [His] basketball IQ is out of this world. Having him around to help… has been very critical for our start of the season.”</p><p>If the Bucks are to reclaim their 2021 championship form, they’ll need more than Antetokounmpo’s dominance. They’ll need sharp execution, vocal leadership, and guards who think about the game on a higher level.</p><p>If Milwaukee’s bench and its younger guards can absorb that, the Bucks’ best basketball may still be ahead.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Rajon Rondo is boosting Bucks’ title chances amid Giannis Antetokounmpo urgency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-derrick-rose-rajon-rondo-reignite-rivalry-in-vegas-but-not-on-court');   ga('set', 'title', 'Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo reignite rivalry in Vegas, but not on NBA court');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Celtics-guard-Rajon-Rondo-9-drives-on-Chicago-Bulls-guard-Derrick-Rose.jpg"><figcaption>© Winslow Townson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo reignite rivalry in Vegas, but not on NBA court</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-13T23:12:37-07:00">July 13th, 11:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-13T23:12:37-07:00">July 13th, 11:12pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Retirement appears to be treating two of the best point guards of the late 2000s and early 2010s, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-derrick-rose-officially-retires-after-16-seasons">former MVP Derrick Rose</a> and two-time NBA champion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-news-rajon-rondo-officially-announces-retirement">Rajon Rondo enjoying their lives</a> outside the hardwood. In fact, the two floor generals appear to be branching out into new interests — with the two dipping their toes in the sport of chess while in Las Vegas amid the 2025 NBA Summer League in Sin City.</p><p>Two of the greatest chess grandmasters of all-time, Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, <a href="https://x.com/CourtsideBuzzX/status/1944611964166328416" rel="noopener">hosted a chess competition</a> named “Chesstival” — with Rose and Rondo being two of the highest-profile participants in the said event. The format used for the competition is “freestyle chess”, where the back rank pieces are randomly arranged. There are two rules that must be followed, however. The king must start in between the two rooks, while the two bishops must start on opposite-colored squares. Other than that, the positioning of the pieces is randomized.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Former NBA stars Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo are competing in the “Chesstival” tournament in Las Vegas with grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura <a href="https://twitter.com/chesscom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chesscom</a> <a href="https://t.co/742E7oLtYb">pic.twitter.com/742E7oLtYb</a></p><p>— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1944519508221452717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>There is not much surprise that Rondo, who is most famous for his stints with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, was a participant in this event. Rondo admitted on an episode of Jeff Teague’s Club 520 Podcast that he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8t66wtHIV7Y" rel="noopener">used to play chess</a> prior to ballgames later on in his career.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Rondo is also one of the smartest NBA players of all-time, calling out plays before they happen and manipulating defenses to create openings even his teammates sometimes aren’t aware of.</p><p>Meanwhile, Rose lowkey has been playing chess for a long time, although he’s only been more vocal about this interest of his since he decided to retire in 2024. The former MVP with the Chicago Bulls has long been planning to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6zljL32T9o" rel="noopener">join or even host a chess tournament</a>, and now, he has gotten his wish.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><h2><b>Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo enjoy life after basketball</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Derrick-Rose.jpg"><figcaption>© David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Father Time may sap even the most legendary athletes of their speed and leaping ability, but as the old adage goes, with age comes wisdom. This appears to be the case for both Rose and Rondo, who are looking to stretch their strategic brains to the limits by continuing to expand their horizons in this post-retirement endeavor.</p><p>Both became savvy locker-room presences towards the end of their basketball careers, but now, they will put those brains of theirs to the test on the chessboard. Retirement doesn’t have to be all glitz and glamour; it can also be peaceful and quiet, as both Rose and Rondo are showing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo reignite rivalry in Vegas, but not on NBA court

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-boogie-cousins-rajon-rondo-knicks-buzz-light-years-ahead-jj-redick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Boogie Cousins on Rajon Rondo Knicks buzz, ‘light years ahead of’ JJ Redick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rajon-Rondo.jpg"><figcaption>© David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Boogie Cousins on Rajon Rondo Knicks buzz, ‘light years ahead of’ JJ Redick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T13:28:29-07:00">June 4th, 1:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T13:28:29-07:00">June 4th, 1:28pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A coaching search is underway in the Big Apple as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-tom-thibodeau-fired-after-ecf-loss-vs-pacers">New York Knicks made the surprising decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau</a> earlier this week. Thibodeau led the Knicks to the playoffs in four out of the five years that he was with the team, and they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals this season for the first time since 2000. Thibodeau seemed to have the team trending in the right direction, but it wasn’t good enough. Now, the Knicks need a new head coach, and Rajon Rondo has <a href="https://youtu.be/Wp3qHUo0hiE?t=659" rel="noopener">been mentioned</a> as a potential candidate.</p><p>Rajon Rondo doesn’t have any coaching experience, but there is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-rajon-rondo-gets-thrown-into-knicks-head-coach-search">some buzz surrounding him and the Knicks opening</a>. Last offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers hired JJ Redick to be their new head coach, and the team ended up finishing in third place in the Western Conference this year. Boogie Cousins thinks that if Redick can do it, then so can Rondo.</p><p>“Absolutely, I think he would be the perfect guy for the job,” Boogie Cousins said during an episode of the <i>Run It Back Show</i>. “If we praise JJ Redick, and this is no knock. I think JJ is a really good coach, but if we praise JJ for his level of IQ and his understanding of the game. I mean Rondo is light years ahead of him. So I think when it comes to any coaching job I think his name should be in the hat. He’s a winner, he knows the game, he’s also a great teacher of the game, he was that when he was a player, so you could only imagine what he would be if he’s a full-time coach.”</p><p>Cousins makes a good point with the comparison to JJ Redick. If Redick did enough during his playing career to earn a head coaching job in the NBA, then so did Rajon Rondo.</p><p>Rondo coaching the Knicks would be a sight to behold given his history with the Boston Celtics, who are New York’s rivals. Rondo played in the NBA for 16 years, and he was with the Celtics from 2006 until 2014. After that, he bounced around the league for another eight years, playing for eight different teams.</p><p>It doesn’t seem super likely that the Knicks go out and hire with someone with zero coaching experience, but that doesn’t mean that Rajon Rondo isn’t qualified for the job. Players without coaching experience are getting more opportunities in numerous different sports, and JJ Redick showed in his first season with the Lakers that it can be a successful experiment.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Boogie Cousins on Rajon Rondo Knicks buzz, ‘light years ahead of’ JJ Redick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-rajon-rondo-gets-thrown-into-knicks-head-coach-search');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rajon Rondo gets thrown into Knicks head coach search');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rajon-Rondo-gets-thrown-into-Knicks-head-coach-search-1.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Rajon Rondo gets thrown into Knicks head coach search</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T09:13:15-07:00">June 4th, 9:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T16:50:28-07:00">June 4th, 4:50pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-jason-kidd-ime-udoka-radar">New York Knicks’ search for a new head coach continues to generate buzz</a> following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-many-insiders-not-buying-new-yorks-spin-on-tom-thibodeau-firing">firing of Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday</a>. Among the latest names floated is former NBA point guard Rajon Rondo, who was suggested by ESPN analyst Jay Williams during Wednesday’s broadcast of <i>Get Up </i>on ESPN.</p><p>Williams acknowledged that Rondo <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOEaeSR9x8c&amp;t=829s" rel="noopener">lacks formal head coaching experience</a> but emphasized the respect Rondo commands across the league for his basketball IQ and leadership.</p><p>“I’m going to give a dark horse guys and I’m sure everybody’s going to react to it because he has no head coaching experience,” Williams said. “But if you ask any NBA player how they feel about Rajon Rondo they always talk about how brilliant of an IQ that he has. And the fact that defensively, offensively he’s great at building schemes on the fly. Ask Doc Rivers on those championship teams that he’s won.”</p><p>Rondo, 38, retired from the NBA in 2024 after a 16-year career that included stints with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and several other franchises. He won two NBA championships — one with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-news-rajon-rondo-revelation-lakers-title-hurt-celtics-fans">Boston in 2008 and another with the Lakers in 2020</a>. His career accolades include four All-Star selections, an All-NBA Third Team nod, five All-Defensive Team honors, and multiple statistical titles, including three for assists and one for steals.</p><h2><b>Rajon Rondo’s coaching interest resurfaces as Knicks weigh options</b></h2><p>Williams noted Rondo’s potential value to the Knicks given his knowledge of the Eastern Conference and his potential to elevate Jalen Brunson’s game.</p><p>“I’m not saying he’s going to win,” Williams added, “But I definitely think that’s a name that people should consider to be an NBA head coach at this level because of his familiarity in the Eastern Conference and because of unlocking other guards in Jalen Brunson.”</p><p>Rondo has previously expressed interest in coaching but had postponed formal steps in that direction to focus on raising his children. He participated in training camp with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-rajon-rondo-guest-coaching-damian-lillard-milwaukee-has-fans-pumped">Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2024–25 season as a guest coach</a> and was expected to remain around the team throughout the year.</p><p>Thibodeau was dismissed after five seasons with a 226-174 regular-season record and a 24-23 mark in the playoffs. His tenure included four playoff appearances and the franchise’s first Eastern Conference Finals berth since 2000. He previously served as an assistant under former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy from 1996 to 2001.</p><p>Van Gundy was also mentioned during Wednesday’s Get Up by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who suggested the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-brian-windhorst-floats-idea-of-jeff-van-gundy-reunion">Knicks should consider a potential reunion</a>.</p><p>As the coaching search unfolds, Rondo joins a growing and varied list of candidates as the Knicks explore their next step.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rajon Rondo gets thrown into Knicks head coach search

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-news-rajon-rondo-hits-league-cold-all-star-game-reality');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rajon Rondo hits NBA with ‘cold’ All-Star Game reality');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-news-Rajon-Rondo-hits-league-with-cold-All-Star-Game-reality.jpg"></figure><h1>Rajon Rondo hits NBA with ‘cold’ All-Star Game reality</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-13T07:39:05-08:00">February 13th, 7:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-13T07:39:05-08:00">February 13th, 7:39am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former NBA All-Defensive and NBA All-Star guard Rajon Rondo is one of the latest to criticize the 2025 game. After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/where-is-2025-nba-all-star-game-location-venue-date-time">NBA revealed San Francisco to be the location of the All-Star Game</a>, it was a breath of fresh air. However, Rondo believes that there needs to be more thought within the game itself.</p><p>He explained on the Knuckleheads Podcast why he believes the game <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAy5tpze8jw" rel="noopener">isn’t receiving as much traction</a>.</p><p>“Obviously, it’s at an all-time low, I believe,” Rondo said. “I think some of the cities gotta be better—keep it a buck, man. You can’t have the All-Star Game in cold-ass Indianapolis. Who’s gonna pull up to that? Nobody who doesn’t have to be there wants to be there. So why would I go to Indianapolis for All-Star Weekend just to say I was there?</p><p>“Not to kill all these other cities, but why are we having it in Cleveland in February? It needs to be somewhere warm, somewhere celebrities and people actually want to go. You should be able to be outside, not stuck in a hotel room all weekend. For me, I think the location needs to change. And for the game itself, I think it starts with the leaders, man.</p><h2><b>Rajon Rondo wants changes to the NBA All-Star Game</b></h2><p>Change usually doesn’t happen overnight. However, awareness of an issue is a great start. While players like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-rips-terrible-new-nba-all-star-game-format">Kevin Durant ripped the All-Star Game format</a>, Rondo isn’t ripping the format. He’s ripping the location of it. To be honest, he makes a very valid point.</p><p>Places along the Midwest and the East Coast during February are still in the winter months. On the flip side, some West Coast cities are beautiful this time of year. For example, a city like Phoenix has no snow, is always sunny, and has great weather. Plus, the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament is always hosted this time of year.</p><p>There’s a reason celebrities and players rave about the tournament. The sport itself aside, it’s a nice place to be and to relax. The same can happen for the NBA. However, there is some news that Rondo might enjoy. The Phoenix Suns will <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-all-star-weekend-future-locations#:~:text=NBA%20All%2DStar%202027%20will,the%20home%20of%20the%20Suns." rel="noopener">host the event in 2027</a>.</p><p>Bringing the game to a West Coast and sunny atmosphere might encourage more people to try and make the team. Location isn’t the end all, be all. However, it certainly helps, nonetheless. Either way, it might take a little while before the NBA sees Rondo’s point of bringing the All-Star Game in a warmer place.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
3.1	2.7	3.7	0.3	0.7

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
3.1	2.7	3.7	0.3	0.7

Rajon Rondo

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Rajon Rondo gets thrown into Knicks head coach search

Rajon Rondo hits NBA with ‘cold’ All-Star Game reality

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