The Celtics are close to the end. Rivers could decide to walk away. Allen is a free agent. Garnett and Pierce are on the decline. But the future is clear, Rajon Rando, in just a few years, will be the Boston Celtics.
This didn’t just go down with the best all-around Celtics performances in history, but it could be THE best ever. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson ever had such an outlandish scoring, rebounding and passing performance in the playoffs. Rondo is a fascinating and unique talent, a brassy point guard with style and flair and the ego to never, ever back down.
Everyone believes in Rondo now. The sheer brilliance of his performance mesmerized the Garden. Beneath those 17 champion banners, people aren’t easily impressed. Larry Bird never had a playoff game like this. Bill Russell? Kevin McHale? Bob Cousy? John Havlicek? None of them. No one has. Not ever.
Rondo fired 50 and 60 foot passes through the air, catching teammates in strides for dunks. He fired bullets through the maze of Cavalier arms and legs. He tossed lobs for jams. When LeBron James was chasing him down, trying to catch him on the break and pin the ball against the backboard, he deftly flipped the ball behind his back to Tony Allen for a dunk. “His performance was unbelievable,” James said. He made strong drives to the basket. He made jumpers. He chased rebounds to the edge of the floor, he pluck them out the air. Smallest player on the floor and 18 rebounds.
Smallest player on the floor, yet those three Hall of Famers understand that wherever they go now, Rondo takes them. This had been a performance for the ages. Rondo, keep moving toward Game 5 in Cleveland, keep moving towards Green 18 and keep moving towards the hall of fame. Wherever these Celtics go now, Rajon Rondo takes them.
It makes you wonder, where would this team be if the original Big 3 had a guy like Rondo to pick up where they left off?
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