With the return of veteran point guard Rajon Rondo to the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers now have a pretty crowded backcourt. Rondo, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, and of course Russell Westbrook give head coach Frank Vogel a number of options to choose from.
One thing that Westbrook is known for is his motor and competitiveness as he puts 100 percent into everything he does whether it is a game or practice. That will certainly rub off on the handful of younger players on the team, but it is also something that a vet like Rondo is looking forward to as well.
“More excitement, more energy in practice,” Rondo said when asked about Westbrook. “Looking forward to a lot more competitive competitions with him and other guys on the team. So it’s a hell of a team as far as a lot of competitors and I’m looking forward to getting better each day in practice with those guys.”
Some have wondered whether Westbrook and Rondo will be able to get along especially after a high-profile incident in the bubble in 2020. But there seem to be no lingering issues between the two and that caliber of talent being on the same page and helping each other will only make both better.
That competitiveness Westbrook brings will also be crucial for the entire team as it forces everyone to rise to that level. In other cases, a veteran team may not take practice as seriously, but Westbrook won’t allow that to happen and everyone will have to match that intensity.
It will also make for some very entertaining practices as players will be battling each other for rotation spots and minutes once the season starts. Regardless of what history many believe the two have, one thing that any athlete respects is work ethic and competitiveness. Westbrook brings that in spades and Rondo will only benefit from that, as will everyone else.
Rondo looking forward to playing with first-time teammates on Lakers
Westbrook isn’t the only new veteran teammate for Rondo on the Lakers as the front office has brought in a number of big names to fill out the roster and the point guard is looking forward to teaming with all of them for the first time in Purple and Gold.
“Carmelo. Obviously Russ and even talked to Trev,” Rondo said when asked about who he is looking forward to teaming with. I’m look forward to talking to Trev and learn his mind, his focus. Did Trev beat me? I think Trev beat me a couple years ago back in the ’10 Finals.
“So like I said, we’ve got a lot of great battles. A lot of these guys are now teammates, so I’m looking forward to putting everything in the past and putting it together for the greater good of the team and win a championship here.”
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