Rajon Rondo: A Brief Biography
Born on February 22, 1986, in Louisville, Kentucky, Rajon Pierre Rondo is a professional American basketball player. The 6-foot-1-inch athlete plays as a point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association. He is a two-time NBA champion and has been nominated for several awards and achievements.
Rondo started playing basketball at high school and college levels. Thereafter, Rajon was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 NBA draft. But the franchise then traded him to the Boston Celtics. Rondo played for the Celtics till 2014 before moving to the Dallas Mavericks. Later Rajon moved forward with his professional NBA career with various other teams. It includes the Sacramento Kings, the Chicago Bulls, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers and finally, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rajon Rondo Early Life
Rajon Rondo was born on February 22, 1986. His father, William Rondo, left the family when Rondo was just 7. After that, his mother, Amber Rondo, took care of all four children single-handedly. Rondo has three siblings – Anton Rondo, Dymon Rondo and William Rondo. His mother worked at a tobacco company, Phillip Morris, USA.
In his childhood, Rondo used to play several sports like football, baseball and basketball. But his mother motivated him to play basketball due to Rajon’s skinny posture. Thereafter, Rondo attended Eastern High School based in Louisville and started playing basketball in junior. Then he joined Oak Hill Academy for his senior year.
In 2004, Rajon Rondo attended the University of Kentucky due to his commitment to Kentucky over his hometown Louisville. During this period, Rajon was also selected as one of the US men’s national U21 basketball team. He represented the team in the 2005 FIBA Under-21 World Championship.
Rajon Rondo NBA Journey
To join the NBA league, Rajon decided to skip his final two seasons of University. He was drafted as a 21st overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in 2006. However, the Suns traded him to the Boston Celtics in the 2007 NBA draft. Rondo played his debut NBA regular season match on November 1, 2006, against the New Orleans Hornets. In the 2007-08 season, Rajon displayed an excellent piece of work for his side to help it reach the NBA Finals. He contributed to the team’s efforts to win the NBA championship for the first time in his career. They defeated the Lakers 4-2.
Rajon was criticised for his shooting, but he went on to improve his overall performance. Against the Indiana Pacers, Rondo recorded his first career triple-double and a career-high in assists. The point guard acquired his first NBA All-Star selection on January 28, 2010.
Along with Dwight Powell, Rondo was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2014. He played his first game for the Mavs two days later against the Spurs. However, he was then traded to Sacramento Kings in July 2015. He posted 4 points and 7 rebounds in his debut game (against the Clippers) for the Kings. In July 2016, Rajon signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls and recorded 4 points and 6 rebounds in his first game for the Bulls.
In 2017, Rajon joined the New Orleans Pelicans under a one-year deal. Later he was traded to Los Angeles in July 2018 for US$9 million. He played an integral part in the team's success in winning his second NBA championship.
Rajon moved to different teams every next year, from Atlanta Hawks in 2020 to Los Angeles in March 2021 and then back to Lakers in August 2021. Now he has been playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers since January 2022.
Rajon Rondo Education
The professional NBA player Rajon attended Eastern High School in Louisville. He played high school basketball and averaged 27.9 points in his junior year. Later, Rando also joined Oak Hill Academy to play his senior year and averaged 21 points each game. After completing his high school education, Rondo joined the University of Kentucky in 2004. He played a significant role in notable victories for his college team along with his teammates Randolph Morris and Joe Crawford. Rajon played in the US men’s U21 national basketball team as well.
Rajon Rondo Championship
Rajon Pierre Rondo won the esteemed NBA championship two times in his professional career. He entered the NBA league in 2006 when the Phoenix Suns drafted him in the 2006 NBA draft. Later, he was shifted to the Boston Celtics. In the 2007-08 NBA season, Rajon led the Celtics to defeat the Lakers in the finals to achieve his first-ever NBA championship.
Rajon attained his second championship in the 2019-20 NBA season when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers. With this achievement, he became the 2nd (after Clyde Lovellette) player in NBA history to win an NBA championship for both the Celtics and the Lakers.
Rajon Rondo Awards and Achievements
Awards/Achievements | Year |
NBA Champion | 2008, 2020 |
NBA All-Star | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
All-NBA Third Team | 2012 |
NBA All-Defensive First Team | 2010, 2011 |
NBA All-Defensive Second Team | 2009, 2012 |
NBA Assists Leader | 2012, 2013, 2016 |
NBA All-Rookie Second Team | 2007 |
Second-Team Parade All-American | 2004 |
McDonald’s All-American | 2004 |
Rajon Rondo Net Worth
According to various online sources, the net worth of Rajon Rondo is approximately USD 50 million. He also has earned more than 30 million US dollars from brand endorsements. Since he is a two-time NBA champion, he received hefty bonuses as well. In 2018, Rajon’s net worth was estimated to be around USD 35 million, which increased to 45 million last year.
Rajon Rondo Contract
Rajon Rondo managed several stints with different NBA franchises. He started his NBA career with a million-dollar contract with the Celtics. In November 2009, he signed a contract extension (five-year) with the Celtics worth USD 55 million. Then he signed a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings in July 2015 worth US$10 million after having a deal with the Mavericks.
Rondo joined the Chicago Bulls with a two-year contract worth US$28 million in 2016. In July 2017, Rajon signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans worth USD 3.3 million. After a year in July 2018, he signed a US$9 million agreement with the Lakers. During his subsequent years in the NBA, Rajon Rondo signed multi-year deals with the Atlanta Hawks, the Clippers, the Lakers, and then Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rajon Rondo’s Girlfriend
Rajon Rondo has been dating Latoia Fitzgerald since 2020. She was born on August 16, 1986, in Pennsylvania and is a professional fashion designer. She has a professional career in the children’s clothing line. The couple has continued to consolidate their relationship and is likely to get married in the future.
Earlier, Rajon Rondo got married to Ashley Bachelor. They also have two kids together named Rajon Rondo Jr. and Ryelle Rondo. However, they separated for personal reasons.
Rajon Rondo Shoe
Rajon Rondo once had his own line of signature shoes. It came in collaboration with the China-based manufacturer Anta. However, the NBA champion moved to more familiar brands after his contract expiration with Anta. He has been seen mostly wearing a pair of Puma RS-Dreamer shoes.