Rajon Rondo Gives Personal Starting Five, No Dirk Nowitzki

Rajon Rondo, in the latest HOOP Magazine issue, gives his personal starting five and Dirk Nowitzki was not in it.

Rajon Rondo’s tenure in Dallas was an interesting one to say the least.

In December of 2014, the Dallas Mavericks made a blockbuster trade sending Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, and their 2016 first and second rounders to the Boston Celtics for Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell.

To sum up how the trade went, Dwight Powell is the only thing left standing in Dallas two years later.

Rondo played in just 46 games for the Mavericks and left Dallas on the worst note you could possibly leave on. He entered free agency with absolutely zero possibility of coming back to Dallas. The situation was bad all around as fans shared their hatred for Rondo while Rondo shared displeasure with Rick Carlisle and the situation in Dallas.

Since then, Rondo has played in Sacramento and now Chicago, where it hasn’t been the best for him in his career.

Recently, HOOP Magazine caught up with Rondo and featured him in their latest issue. In his feature, Rondo is asked to give his all-time teammate starting five. Basically come up with a starting five using teammates over his career.

At point guard he obviously had himself while he naturally had Paul Pierce as the starting small forward.

Monta Ellis was his pick at shooting guard, not Ray Allen. Which is kind of funny considering Rondo’s relationship with the Hall of Famer in Allen. Really Rajon, you would take MONTA ELLIS over Ray Allen?

At power forward, he added fuel to the Garnett/Nowitzki debate (if this is even a debate) by picking Kevin Garnett as his starting four. Rondo did spend many seasons with KG compared to just 46 games in Dallas, but still…it’s Dirk Nowitzki.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The center position was reserved for DeMarcus Cousins. It wasn’t the fact that he had Cousins as his center, but rather the comment he put with his choice.

“DeMarcus is probably the best talent I have ever played with,” Rondo said.

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The question that is not clarified in the piece was if he was picking his starting five based of the time he played with them or their careers in general. If it’s based of their time together, then I could understand the statement of 2015-16 Cousins compared to 17th season Nowitzki.

So does Nowitzki make anything of Rondo’s?

The only spot left was the little wildcard spot outside of the starting five and that naturally went to Nowitzki. Rondo praised his ability to shoot like a shooting guard and that was it.

Well, it’s good Nowitzki got the wildcard spot I guess even though he isn’t his starting power forward, nor the “best talent” he has ever played with.

Personally, I couldn’t help to laugh a little when I read it. Not just about the fact of Nowitzki but the pettiness around Ray Allen too.

The only thing missing was who his coach would be, but I guess Rick Carlisle would have been too obvious of a choice.

Next: 1-on-1 With Nerlens Noel

Check out the latest issue of HOOP Magazine where they have a feature story on each team in the NBA along with many other NBA storylines.