The 15 Most Ridiculous Assists of Rajon Rondo's Career

Image via Complex Original

Date: 5/21/2012

Game: 76ers v. Celtics

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

Who other than Rajon Rondo could turn a potential turnover into a pretty assist? Just when you think No. 9 is going down, he keeps his composure and finds a willing recipient in Greg Stiemsma along the baseline. Seriously, how much does Greg Stiemsma miss Rajon Rondo?

Date: 3/4/2011

Game: Warriors v. Celtics

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

Rajon Rondo helped Jeff Green take his game to the next level during their time together in Boston. A more than willing cutter who was adept at moving without the ball, Green was the recipient of many a Rondo assist. This underhand alley-oop is inch-perfect from Rondo, and Green throws it down with the finish it deserves.

Date: 12/25/2011

Game: Celtics v. Knicks

Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York

How can defenses still let their guard down when Rajon Rondo has the ball? Obviously it’s the Knicks who get clowned on with this behind-the-back backdoor dime. SMH. If you watch closely, you can see Melo doing what he normally does, not playing anything remotely resembling defense.

Date: 3/28/2012

Game: Jazz v. Celtics

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

Let’s call this the slow-motion spin cycle, shall we? To be fair to Millsap, Rondo pretty much fakes out the entire Jazz defense. It’s just that no one looks quite as confused as Millsap on this play. It’s the fact that he actually tries to recover that does him in.

Date: 6/3/2010

Game: Celtics v. Lakers

Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles

Rajon Rondo has made a career of sucking defenders in and waiting until the last possible moment to find an open man. And what a damn fine career it’s been. Rondo’s vision and intellect was center stage during Game 1 of the 2010 Finals, as he left one Laker clutching at air and another on the floor.

Date: 6/1/2012

Game: Heat v. Celtics

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

Trailing two games to none, the Boston Celtics badly needed to win Game 3 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals on their home court. And they secured the 101-91 win over the Heat in large part because of the great play of Rajon Rondo. This nifty no-look bounce pass was just one of Rondo’s 10 assists on the night.

Date: 12/9/2010

Game: Celtics v. 76ers

Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

It’s one thing to throw an alley-oop at the rim, but it’s quite another to throw a measured one over the top of the defender with less than two seconds left in the game and your team down by one. That’s just how Rajon Rondo rolls. No doubt, Kevin Garnett deserves plenty of credit for this play, but it’s Rondo’s perfectly-measured pass that sets up the killer strike. Goodnight, Philly.

Date: 2/24/2011

Game: Celtics v. Nuggets

Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver

Look away now, Nene. This was not the big man’s finest moment back in 2011. Rondo draws the Brazilian in and finds Davis with an around-the-back beauty. Thanks for playing, kids.

Date: 4/9/2014

Game: Celtics v. Hawks

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

Passing it behind your back and throwing perfectly-measured alleys are all well and good, but beating two defenders with a bounce pass from your own half of the court is on another level. We could watch Rondo hit Green in stride again and again and…you get the picture.

Date: 10/11/2011

Game: Big Blue All Stars v. Union College

Arena: Pulaski County High School, Somerset, Ky.

Back in 2011, while the NBA was in a lockout, Rajon Rondo and a few other superstars found another platform on which to entertain the fans and stay in shape. This group was known as the Big Blue All Stars and they played against opponents like Union College, pictured above. During this tour stop, Rondo gave the crowd something they’d never forget by connecting with Kenneth Faried on a no-look, behind-the-back alley-oop. Absolute perfection.

Date: 1/20/2013

Game: Celtics v. Pistons

Arena: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn, Mich.

Seriously, though, the way Rondo fires this one through the air and hits Avery Bradley right over the shoulder, you have to wonder which New England superstar you’re watching. How much fun must it be to play with Rondo?

Date: 12/25/2011

Game: Celtics v. Knicks

Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York

It may look easy, but there are few in the NBA who could execute a perfect bounce pass from half-court. Marquis Daniels is not a good basketball player, folks, but this dime goes to show you that Rajon Rondo could make a one-armed muppet look like an All-Star.

Date: 5/9/2010

Game: Cavaliers v. Celtics

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

To have the wherewithal and vision to pull off this play during Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semis is, well, can we say Rondo-esque? Did we mention the game was tied? And that LeBron James was in full-flight trying to track down Rondo? This is a bad man, people.

Date: 12/8/2010

Game: Nuggets v. Celtics

Arena: TD Garden, Boston

Yes, it definitely helps that the NBA’s most prolific three-point shooter was on the receiving end of this pass, but that has nothing to do with the vision and execution of this masterpiece. How does Rondo know Ray Allen is there? How? Like, we want an actual explanation. Rondo is on the way down when he whips this one out to Ray and it’s freakin awesome.

Date: 3/14/2012

Game: Celtics v. Warriors

Arena: Oracle Arena, Oakland

It’s really splitting hairs here to compare the previous assist with this one. On this play, Rondo makes a pretty spin move to get into the lane and throws the behind-the-back pass to Allen with an unbelievable amount of fluidity. Like a swan dancing across the water, Rondo executes this one like Doc drew it up during the last timeout. Rajon Rondo, we salute you.