Rajon Rondo is in the top tier of the league’s most competitive players, so the comments he made that we’re about to bring you shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Rondo is traditionally very quiet with the media, so when he talks about things like his competitive drive or how he values his teammates over all else, it’s worth tuning in to listen. He appeared on WEEI radio on Thursday, and had some interesting comments that let us into both his, and his team’s mentality.
As transcribed by Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com:Asked if he hates rivals like the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, Rondo admitted he’s not in this business to make friends.
“Hate’s a strong word, but I agree with my teammate,” Rondo said when asked about Jason Terry’s comments about disliking rivals. “We don’t like anyone. It’s our job to go out there and win. We’re not trying to be friends with anybody, I think KG shows it best. He plays with a lot of intensity. He has no friends out there on the court, and that’s our mentality.
In this era where many players from opposing teams grew up in the game together and have strong relationships off the court, it’s nice to hear that Rondo and the Celtics keep it fierce against the competition. Most fans harbor a hatred of their favorite team’s most bitter rival on some level, and they want to see that same fire in the players who play for the team they love and support.Rondo took it a step further, when discussing just how he views those who he plays against -- in short, he isn’t there to make friends.
“That should be everyone’s mentality. We are competing -- there’s no friends on the court. Even if you were playing against a family member like your mother, you still go out there and try to beat her. It’s just a matter of competing. We love to win, I’m very competitive. Anything I do, I want to win. I don’t have time for friends. I don’t talk to a lot of these guys in the offseason, so why I should talk to them on the court and try to be their friend?
“I’m playing for my teammates. I know I’m a great teammate -- if you’re not my teammate, I could care less about them.”It’s probably a lonely summer for Rondo, given his lack of interest in developing off-the-court relationships with his co-workers who play for teams other than Boston. But Celtics fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
