ESPN: Rajon Rondo joins Milwaukee Bucks as training camp guest coach

Rajon Rondo has been supposedly interested in a coaching role of some kind over the past few seasons, especially since his retirement earlier this year. Now, he has one in a sense with a team in the NBA.

Per ESPN, Rondo has joined the coaching staff for the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the upcoming season. He is currently working with them at their training camp at UC Irvine. From there, it’ll continue in an unspecified role for him on their bench.

“You’ll see him a lot,” Doc Rivers, the Bucks’ head coach and Rondo’s former coach with the Boston Celtics, said. “That’s all I’ll say.”

Rondo retired from basketball back in April of this year. That ended a 16-year career in the association with the Celtics along with the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

In that time, Rondo averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. With that, he was three-time assist leader and one-time steals leader in the league. That earned him honors as a four-time All-Star, a four-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and a one-time selection for All-NBA. He also won two championships with the Celtics in 2008 and then the Lakers in 2020.

Again, Rondo has seemingly been looking for a chance since then to begin coaching. Some reporting suggested that might have begun in the last few years at his alma mater at Kentucky. There were hopes that he could work with the team in some capacity while he’s still finishing his degree in human communications at UK.

However, Rondo will start coaching to some extent in the pros. In his interview with Baxter Holmes, he did not share whether any other teams had offered him an opportunity.

Still, Rondo will now be back alongside Rivers while working with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton on one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.

“I’m learning what it looks like,” he said of being on a coaching staff,” said Rondo to Holmes. “You see people go from not coaching to head-coaching jobs all the time. A lot of people go straight to becoming assistant coaches. So there’s just no path. I just want to seek as much information as possible.”

“He’s the smartest player I’ve ever coached — and not just smart…He knows when to and when not to say stuff. He’s a great team builder. It’s just fun and it’s great to have him around” Rivers said to ESPN. “The difference I think with Rondo is he sees everything…He doesn’t just see his position, he sees everybody’s position. He knows everybody’s plays. I’m telling you, he’s a savant. He’s the only one I’ve coached — and I’ve coached some really smart players — but Rondo’s understanding of sets, his job, what this guy should be doing, and doing the right stuff, is unbelievable.”