3.) Mentorship and Veteran Leadership
Rondo also brings intangible elements to this Lakers roster, most importantly, in the form of providing mentorship to our young players, particularly Lonzo Ball. Former teammates of Rondo’s, the younger players, in particular, have spoken highly of Rondo’s leadership and his willingness to be a teacher.
During the infamous 2016-2017 Bulls season, there was a divide between the veteran players who had been there for quite some time and the young guns who were seen as the future of the franchise.
Rondo found himself right in the middle of it all and became a staunch supporter of players like Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis, and Jerian Grant when they came under fire from veterans like Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. Here are excerpts of an interview with several Bulls players from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
"“Along with Pau (Gasol), he’s the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Mirotic said. “I feel so comfortable with him and I think all the young guys do,” Mirotic said. “He’s very honest. He’s talking all the time, supporting before the game, after the game, during the practice. He’s always positive. Even if something is not going well, he’s trying to help young players. It’s been great to have him here.” “He’s a great teammate,” [Jerian] Grant said. “He’s been through a lot of different things and been able to show us the wrong and right ways. That’s good for us. He’s been extremely helpful to me. I’ve been in the gym with him a lot, picked his brains a lot.”"
Rondo is a natural teacher, and a student of the game through and through. He spends hours doing film study and prep for each game and he is incredibly vocal on the court and from the sidelines.
His love for the game is infectious and his preparation is second to none. All of this should be a great example for the young guys to follow.