“I was thinking about retiring,” Rondo deadpanned, before later clarifying he was joking and still loves the game. “It’s very refreshing being around a group of men, young guys like this that’s willing to sacrifice every night and playing for one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever played for -- a point guard’s or superstar’s dream coach."
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"With Rubio away from the team, Rondo has become All-Star point guard Darius Garland’s mentor. Shortly after Rondo’s arrival, the Cavs were on the team bus from San Francisco to Sacramento. Garland was on the phone with his dad. In the distance, he heard Rondo screaming his name, so Garland hung up and walked to the back. The two re-watched the whole game together -- the first time any teammate had done that with Garland.
Since then, Garland typically ventures over to Rondo during timeouts, free throws or brief in-game stoppages. They talk through sets, offensive and defensive strategies, how to best run the pick-and-roll and how to counter various coverages. In a way, beyond being a short-term stopgap, Rondo was an investment in the future. The Cavs knew, even with his skills diminished, there was immeasurable value in what Garland could soak up.
The same goes for the other youngsters. Rondo has gotten close with rookie Evan Mobley despite a considerable age gap. The veteran recently pulled Jarrett Allen -- and other bigs -- over to an empty basket at practice, wanting to demonstrate pick-and-roll attacks and lobs that worked for some of Rondo’s former teams."
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“Down the stretch he kept us calm. He put the ball where it needed to go. And really orchestrated us offensively and defensively. When he has the ball in his hands, everybody kind of just feels at home.”