Rajon Rondo, former guard for Kentucky basketball, inducted into UK Athletics Hall of Fame
LEXINGTON — Nearly two decades after he first graced the court for Kentucky, Rajon Rondo etched a permanent spot in school lore Friday.
Rondo, a Louisville native and star guard for the Wildcats in the mid-2000s, was one of six inductees in the UK Athletics Hall of Fame's 2023 class. The other members included Robin Ewing Bodem (gymnastics), Chris Chenault (football), Danielle Galyer Day (women's swimming and diving), Dick Parsons (baseball and men's basketball; later coached both sports at UK) and Ryan Strieby (baseball).
"It was never in my mind, but at the same time, I strive for greatness and I wanted to put my best foot forward while I was here," Rondo said prior to the induction ceremony Friday night. "Thankful to God for my work ethic. I was able to (achieve) this accomplishment. ... To be recognized for my talent, it's very humbling."
Rondo played two seasons (2004-05 and 2005-06) in Lexington. In 2004-05, he earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors after recording 87 steals — a single-season mark that still stands — for a club that went 28-6 overall, captured the SEC's regular-season title and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Rondo followed that up in 2005-06 by leading the team in assists (167), total rebounds (209), points scored (380) and steals (69) as a sophomore, landing on the All-SEC second team as the Wildcats finished 22-13.
Rondo went on to become the No. 21 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. He played 16 years (2006-07 to 2021-22) in the NBA, winning titles with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers — only the second player to win rings with the league's two most historic franchises.
Though he hasn't played since the end of the 2021-22 season, he noted Friday he still hasn't retired.
"Right now, I'm enjoying my time with my kids," he said, "and I'm actually enrolled back in school to finish my degree here."
In February, Kentucky Sports Radio reported Rondo was working toward joining the UK men's basketball coaching staff for the 2023-24 season. Though it hasn't come to pass yet, Rondo hasn't given up. And while he's not part of UK's staff, he sponsors his own travel team, Rondo Elite.
Rondo was a four-time NBA All-Star (2010 through 2013), a four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and a 2012 All-NBA third-team honoree.
Rondo led the NBA in assists three times (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16), one of 10 players in league history to top the regular-season leaderboard in that category on three or more occasions. It's a group that includes six Hall of Famers (Bob Cousy, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Oscar Robertson and John Stockton), two more future Hall of Famers (Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook) and Kevin Porter, who ranks 14th in NBA history in career assists per game at 8.06, two spots ahead of Rondo (7.92).
Rondo also averaged a league-best 2.3 steals per game in 2009-10.
Born in Louisville in 1986, Rondo starred at Eastern High, averaging 27.9 points, 10 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game as a junior. Rondo concluded his prep career at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia.
"I'm born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky," Rondo said. "I take pride in that."
'Scary' talent: 2024 Kentucky basketball target Jayden Quaintance a potential No. 1 pick in NBA draft
Kentucky basketball recruiting: Where Wildcats stand with 2024 targets
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball news: NBA champ Rajon Rondo enters UK Hall of Fame
