During his introductory press conference in Chicago yesterday, new Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo was quick to remind everyone that this is very much Jimmy Butler’s team.
And newcomer Dwyane Wade, too, sorta.
Rondo: "it's Jimmy's team. Jimmy, Wade and then whatever after that."
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) July 7, 2016
The mercurial floor general also defended his reputation against charges of being a difficult player to coach—insert a prayer for Fred Hoiberg here—and play with.
Rondo: "I'm stubborn but intelligent. People look at it as a knock but I think that's what makes me great."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 7, 2016
Rondo on Hoiberg: "He's not a dominant coach. He likes giving his players input."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 7, 2016
Per the Chicago Tribune:
“You can consider me stubborn, but I think I’m really intelligent,” Rondo said Thursday at the Advocate Center. “I don’t B.S. around. I put a lot of work in. I watch film. I study. People may knock it, but I think it’s what makes me great. I talk to a lot of older players and players I have respect for and they don’t consider it a knock. I talk to older coaches as well. These guys will get to know me. People have always doubted me. This is Day One. We’ll see.”
Basically, Rondo came across as the 10-year veteran that he is, someone who has seen it all in the NBA, including four All-Star games and a 2008 title with the Celtics. […] “What makes me confident is what I’ve been through, what I’ve seen,” Rondo said, when asked how three strong personalities will mesh. “Everything in life you go through is for a reason. Playing in Boston with the big three (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen), I was able to see how those guys interacted with one another, knowing that everything doesn’t have to be perfect in practice. You’re going to disagree. But if you all have one common goal and that’s to get a ‘W,’ that’s all that matters. Egos go out the window.”
For the record, Rondo called the Bulls “Jimmy’s team” but did admit to having “three alphas” on the roster. […] “Well, obviously, I think it’s Jimmy’s team,” Rondo said. “Wade, I don’t know how they’re going to handle that. But Jimmy’s the youngest; he’s the engine here. It’ll be Jimmy, Wade and then a pecking order.”
