2020 Lakers Champ Joins East Contender's Coaching Staff

The beloved Los Angeles role player is making inroads toward a long-expected head coaching career.

Oct 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard JR Smith (21) and guard Rajon Rondo (9) hold the trophy after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Former 2020 Los Angeles Lakers champion Rajon Rondo, long considered one of the game's brightest minds when he was playing, is taking the first step towards a potential head coaching trajectory.

The four-time All-Star point guard is joining Doc Rivers' staff on the Milwaukee Bucks, albeit "in an unspecified capacity," per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

During his June wedding in Lake Como, Italy, his former Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers issued him a key directive, Holmes reveals.

"Get your ass to camp," the now-Milwaukee Bucks head coach told Rondo. Rondo has served as a "guest coach" for the club's UC Irvine training camp this week.

While not exactly clarifying what Rondo's role will be moving forward, Rivers did indicate that "You'll see him a lot... That's all I'll say."

"There's a lot of factors that go into coaching," Rondo said. "You just can't say, I'm going to be a coach, and then everything works out and that's how it happens. So certain personalities have to mesh, [and there's] a lot of sacrifice. There are certain things that I'm learning. The morning meetings, the amount of hours you're spending watching film, it's a lot."

Rondo, who served as the starting point guard on the Rivers-coached, Lakers-defeating champion Celtics in 2008, reflected on his intended trajectory towards a head coaching gig.

"You see people go from not coaching to head-coaching jobs all the time," Rondo said. "A lot of people go straight to becoming assistant coaches. So there's just no path. I just want to seek as much information as possible."

Doc Rivers offered a rave review of Rondo's hoops acumen.

"He's the smartest player I've ever coached -- and not just smart," Rivers told Holmes. "He knows when to and when not to say stuff. He's a great team builder. It's just fun, and it's great to have him around."

Rondo logged two-and-a-half non-consecutive seasons of his 16-year pro tenure with Los Angeles, from 2018-20 and again at the start of L.A.'s ill-fated 2021-22 season. Beyond L.A. and Boston, the four-time All-Defensive Teamer also suited up for the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, L.A. Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

"The difference I think with Rondo is he sees everything," Rivers said. "He doesn't just see his position, he sees everybody's position. He knows everybody's plays. I'm telling you, he's a savant. He's the only one I've coached -- and I've coached some really smart players -- but Rondo's understanding of sets, his job, what this guy should be doing, and doing the right stuff, is unbelievable. And he sees it early. That's why our relationship is so good. And it was bad early, because he is so smart. It turned into an amazing relationship because he's the only player I used to give my play sheet to before games."

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