Rajon Rondo didn’t know what to expect when he joined forces with LeBron James in L.A. this summer.
Bron’s leadership turned out to be a pleasant surprise for his former nemesis.
Rajon Rondo talks building a rapport with LeBron and other teammates, particularly on defense. pic.twitter.com/BTo37ExfZa
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 30, 2018
“I played against him for 13 years now, but obviously I think what your hear versus what you see is a little bit different,” Rondo said following the Lakers’ preseason-opening loss Sunday to the Denver Nuggets.
“He isn’t who I thought he was, he’s probably even a better leader, especially on the floor, telling everybody where to go and directing traffic. I’m so used to doing that myself, so it’s kind of refreshing to me to not have to talk every possession down the floor because I have someone else doing the same thing that you can obviously trust.”
James’ other Laker teammates are also getting acclimated to his style of play.
Per the OC Register:
“There’s no way to have a timeline,” [Luke] Walton said. “Some players will already figure it out.”
Many younger Lakers have played down the “awe factor” of playing with James and the other veterans, saying each player has their role. And yet sometimes the veil still drops.
“Some of the passes that ’Do and Bron do, sometimes you just watch them like, ‘How are they human? How do they see that? How do they get the ball there?’” second-year guard Josh Hart said. “So definitely an adjustment playing with guys like that who will find you even when you don’t think you’re open.”
So far, there hasn’t been any nitpicking about how those passes arrive. When asked if teammates have taken time to find where he likes the ball, [JaVale] McGee replied: “It’s not gonna be hard with LeBron and Rondo.”
