As Rajon Rondo prepares to enter his 13th season in the NBA, there is no denying that the point guard with MENSA-like IQ has seen a lot. But now in his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Rondo claims to have witnessed something he’s never encountered before.
“I was telling ‘Bron the other day we were on the plane, and I’ve never seen damn near 12 guys watching film,” said Rondo of the team’s trip back from San Jose. “So that was very refreshing to see, understanding that this team is committed.”
After each game, the Lakers provide players with iPads complete with film of their own minutes or the full 48. Head coach Luke Walton said that this desire for feedback and improvement from his players is quite literally sleepless.
“I got Kuz texting me at 12:30 at night, the day after games with random clips he’s videoing on his phone and sending to me, asking me what he should do,” Walton said.
Walton also recognizes the eagerness to learn has become integral to the culture in the Lakers organization. “Part of it is just going out and getting guys that love this game and want to get better,” he said.
“I think we have that here, and then it takes great leadership from veterans as well and we have that now too.”
Rondo understands his role as an extension of the coach on the floor and in the film room. He also knows he won’t be leading the impromptu-plane film sessions alone this season.
“They don’t really listen that much to me,” Rondo acknowledged. “But you know when LeBron talks on the plane, you know he was breaking down some film … I was one of the guys looking like ‘What can I learn?’ It’s great to have a guy like him on your team that’s willing to give you the knowledge and help make your game a lot easier.”
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