NBA News 2013: Celtics PG Rondo out for season

Rajon Rondo, the 21st pick of the Phoenix Suns (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Boston Celtics announced Sunday that point guard Rajon Rondo will have surgery to repair a torn ACL and is out for the season.

Rondo, who hyperextended his right knee on Friday, will have surgery. It has not been determined when he will have the surgery or how long he will need to recover.

Rondo was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Miami Heat just before tipoff. He went to New England Baptist Hospital for an MRI and the team announced the severity of the injury during the second half.

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NBA News 2012: Pierce not interested in signing extension

English: Paul Pierce 2000 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Paul Pierce has played all 14 of his NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics, but he is not seeking an extension on his current contract, preferring to become a free agent when it expires, according to the Boston Globe.

Pierce, 34, is under contract through 2013-2014, but it’s not guaranteed as a team option.

“I think I am going to play this one out,” he told the Globe. “I want to see what it feels like to be a free agent for once in my life. I think I am going to play this one out. A lot can change in two years. My body [may not] be where I want it to be, I could retire, a lot of things could happen. I love the game. I made as much money as I possibly can. It’s about winning a championship and if I feel like it’s the right thing to do, maybe so [come back]. If I solidify my third year, maybe they opt out, so it’s about keeping your options open.”

His decision about whether to stay with the Celtics may depend on what other pieces the Celtics have then.

Ray Allen left to join the Miami Heat, and coach Doc Rivers might be ready to walk away from the NBA sometime soon. Kevin Garnett signed a three-year extension this summer, but he is 36 years old.

Pierce was put on the trading block last season before general manager Danny Ainge decided to keep the team together for another run.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/report-pierce-not-interested-in-signing-extension/

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NBA News 2012: Ainge says Garnett considering retirement

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge spoke with free-agent center center Kevin Garnett last week, though Ainge said Garnett hasn't made a decision on his future.

Garnett, 36, is pondering retirement despite finishing strongly in his 17th season. He needs time to reflect, putting Boston's offseason plans in an uncertain state.

"Kevin and I had a good conversation last week and the conversation was mostly on how he needs time before he makes that decision," Ainge told Boston sports radio station WEEI-93.7 FM. "I think we'll talk within the next week, but I'm not so sure that's a decision day for him. He may want to wait and see what sort of team we have. I'm not sure.

"I know that he wants to come back. I know he likes Boston, and I know he loves playing for (coach) Doc (Rivers). He loves everything about the team and the city and so forth. I think that his decision will be, 'Do I really want to play? Or do I not want to play.'"

The longer Garnett delays, the more difficult Boston's situation becomes, with the NBA draft later this month and cap space allocated in holds for Garnett and Ray Allen when free agency opens in early July.

"It is complicated and the timing is complicated. Juggling all these different scenarios is difficult," Ainge said. "But the reality is that, on July 1, Kevin Garnett is on our books for $21 million until we either sign him to a new contract, or renounce him, which means we can't re-sign him. Otherwise, it really limits our cap space."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-roundup-ainge-says-garnett-225009321--nba.html

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NBA News 2010: Comparing Rajon Rondo To Magic Johnson: A Legend in the Making?

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

While watching the Boston Celtics play the New York Knicks the other night, I could not help but think of Magic Johnson when I saw Rajon Rondo dish out 24 assists while putting up a triple double en route to a win.

There are, of course, many differences between the way Magic played versus Rondo’s game. For instance, Magic stood eight inches taller at 6’9” which allowed him to see over the defenses while playing point guard.

Magic was one of the few players in NBA history that could dominate all five positions on the court. With his larger stature, Magic Johnson developed one of the best post games of any guard to ever play. 

By comparison, Rajon Rondo’s game focuses more on speed as he is one of the quickest players in the NBA. Magic may have led the Lakers’ “Showtime” fast breaks but he was never known as one of the fastest players in the league.

While both players were known as ball thieves, Rondo plays a more suffocating style of defense than Magic ever did. Consequently Rondo has made the all-defensive team the past two years, a feat never accomplished by Johnson.

With his 6’1” frame, Rondo will never be the post presence that Magic was.

Despite these differences, the way Rondo ran the offense against the Knicks was certainly impressive. The way Rajon set up his teammates for easy looks at the basket was reminiscent of the way Magic made his teammates better.

Similar to Magic Johnson, Rondo serves as the engine that makes the Boston Celtics offense run. The Celtics have other great players and legends on the team, such as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Glen Davis and Shaquille O’Neal.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/506089-comparing-rajon-rondo-to-magic-johnson-a-legend-in-the-making

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