Rajon Rondo obviously knows how to find his teammates with the ball. Through his first 20 games with the Pelicans, he is averaging a shade over 8 assists per game, which is almost his assist average for his career. But on Wednesday night, Rondo did something extra special and made NBA history in the process.
During a 128-113 blowout win over the Nets, Rondo racked up a career-high 25 assists in just 30 minutes on the court at Smoothie King Arena, making him the first NBA player since Jason Kidd in 1996 to accumulate 25 assists in a single game. According to ESPN, his 25 assists led to 58 points for the Pelicans, so even though he only scored 2 points himself, he obviously had a big impact on his team’s win.
There are only seven NBA players total who have ever reached the 25-assist mark in a game. Outside of Rondo, the others are Scott Skiles, John Stockton, Kevin Johnson, Nate McMillan, Isiah Thomas, and Kidd.
Rondo downplayed his accomplishment after the game, but he also said it was an "honor" to be mentioned alongside some of the NBA’s greats.
"It’s definitely an honor to be mentioned with those guys, especially with passing the ball, which I take pride in," Rondo said. "But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates making shots, so I’ve got to give those guys the credit."
The Elias Sports Bureau is reporting that Rondo is the oldest player to ever record 25 assists. He also accomplished the feat in the shortest amount of playing time. You can watch all 25 of his assists in the clip above.
