Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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H LDING COURT FORMER NFL STAR STEVE DEOSSIE GETS AT THE HEART OF CELTICS POINT GUARD RAJON RONDO'S CONFIDENCE AND STYLE. photography by andrew eccles R ajon Rondo exudes confidence. Not that late-night infomercial confidence. This is real. Yet it comes in such a straightforward and matter-of-fact delivery that completely disarming. Rondo doesn't talk trash about his game or his life. Rather, he has an almost casual acceptance of where and who he is. Most of it's the time when an athlete claims dichotomy that is Rondo. The statement's audacity doesn't match the sub- dued delivery. He makes me believe it. And many NBA fans (in and outside of Boston) believe it. And for those who don't yet? This season, without the competition for his position on the court from former teammate Ray Allen, Rondo will have an even greater chance to prove it. status as "the best," I'm skeptical. When I ask Rondo about his place among NBA point guards he says, "In some areas some guys might be better than me, but overall, if you lay it all out, I think I am the best." The way he speaks—in a low- key manner while proclaiming to be the best in the NBA—underscores the While he has the utmost faith in his own abilities, Rondo is that rare athlete who also recognizes that his success was and is nurtured and assisted by other people on his team and in his life. Such self-awareness is not the norm among the best of the best. He's quick to point out a long list of other very good point guards in the NBA and give some credit to his teammates for his success. He speaks of some fellow Celtics with near reverence, citing Kevin BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 91