Rajon Rondo hopes he doesn’t tear up in Boston return

By Evan Massey | Jan 2, 2015

Dec 28, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) comes off the court during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Thunder 112-107. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Dallas Mavericks star point guard Rajon Rondo hopes that he doesn’t tear up in his first return to face the Boston Celtics.

Rajon Rondo was the franchise point guard for the Boston Celtics for eight seasons and part of a ninth, but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this year. There had been trade rumors surrounding him for a long time before Boston finally pulled the trigger with Dallas, and Rondo is now poised to make his return to Boston as an opponent for the first time.

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Whenever a player returns to face his former team like Rondo is doing, it can be an emotional event. Rondo is hoping that he doesn’t tear up and get emotional in his return, and that he can simply focus on the game for his new team.

“Hopefully I won’t be too emotional, try not to cry a little bit,” Rondo said. “If I do, hopefully, the camera isn’t on me too much. I’m going to try to blink a lot.”

Rondo then went on to thank the fans for supporting him from the beginning and helping him throughout his career to this point.

“That’s where I started,” Rondo said. “That’s where I got molded. That’s where everything happened for me. The best years are still ahead of me, but I was an all-star four times, won a championship in Boston. I can’t thank the fans enough.”

Since being traded to the Mavericks, Rondo has averaged 13.2 points, 7.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. He has brought the exact same style of hustle, playmaking, and defense that made him such a fan favorite with the Celtics.

Dallas is a legitimate championship contender this season, and the addition of Rondo was a perfect move by owner Mark Cuban. Boston fans are already missing Rondo, but they knew that it was time for a move to be made after all of the rumors that surrounded him over the past few seasons.

It will be interesting to see how Rondo performs in his first game back against his former team, and whether or not he gets emotional in his return. Rondo hasn’t been as big of a difference maker with the Mavericks so far in his brief stint with the team, but he has been exactly what they needed at the point guard position.

Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, and Brandan Wright are also facing their former teams, and this game is going to mean a bit more for those three players especially.

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