Nearly two years after his last appearance on an NBA floor, Rajon Rondo closed the door on a potential return.
Rondo, 38, has officially retired from the game.
The four-time All-Star announced his retirement during a special appearance on All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
"Absolutely," Rondo said when asked if fans had seen the last of him in the NBA. "I'd rather spend time with my kids," he explained.
Rajon Rondo has officially announced his retirement from the NBA. 4x All-Star, 3x Assist Champ, 2x Champ, 4x All-Defense. Hell of a career 👏
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) April 2, 2024
His next chapter is just getting started. 👀
Watch a special edition of Extra Smoke with @rajonrondo on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/HSyG0yuoGX
Rondo's announcement comes nearly two years after his last NBA appearance — 15 minutes in an NBA Play-In Tournament game on April 15, 2022.
And while Rondo has been away from the NBA over that time, he's stayed close to the game by working with his son, Pierre, and dabbling in coaching. Last summer, Rondo coached alongside former teammate LeBron James at the 2023 Nike Peach Jam, the premier event of the Nike AAU circuit.
Rondo may not have a full-time future in the coaching world, but he does leave behind an incredible legacy forged during a 16-year NBA career. Look back at some of the biggest highlights.
MORE: How 'Playoff Rondo' paved the way for 'Playoff Jimmy'
How many NBA Finals rings does Rajon Rondo have?
Rondo has two NBA Finals rings.
In his sophomore NBA season, Rondo was tasked with running the show for a Celtics team that had assembled a Big Three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Rondo averaged 10.2 points and 6.6 assists while starting in all 26 games for Boston, which defeated the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals.
12 years later, Rondo played a key role for the Lakers, who won the 2020 NBA championship at the NBA Restart in the Orlando "bubble" at the Walt Disney Resort.
Rondo has a 2-1 career NBA Finals record. His teams won in 2008 and 2020 and lost in 2010. He is on a rare list of players to win a championship with the Celtics and Lakers.
Rajon Rondo career stats
- 9.8 points per game
- 7.9 assists per game
- 4.5 rebounds per game
- 1.6 steals per game
- 2.7 turnovers per game
- 45.6 percent field goal shooting
- 32.4 percent 3-point shooting
- 61.1 percent free throw shooting
Rajon Rondo career earnings
Rondo suited up for nine different teams over 16 seasons. He earned just under $116 million during his career, per Spotrac.
| Year | Team | Earnings |
| 2006-07 | Celtics | $1,143,600 |
| 2007-08 | Celtics | $1,229,280 |
| 2008-09 | Celtics | $1,315,080 |
| 2009-10 | Celtics | $2,094,922 |
| 2010-11 | Celtics | $9,090,911 |
| 2011-12 | Celtics | $8,065,366 |
| 2012-13 | Celtics | $11,000,000 |
| 2013-14 | Celtics | $11,954,545 |
| 2014-15 | Mavericks | $12,909,090 |
| 2015-16 | Kings | $9,500,000 |
| 2016-17 | Bulls | $14,000,000 |
| 2017-18 | Bulls | $3,000,000 |
| 2017-18 | Pelicans | $3,300,000 |
| 2018-19 | Lakers | $9,000,000 |
| 2019-20 | Lakers | $2,404,456 |
| 2020-21 | Clippers | $3,472,603 |
| 2021-22 | Hawks | $4,777,397 |
| 2021-22 | Grizzlies | $4,858,309 |
| 2021-22 | Cavaliers | $1,487,859 |
| 2021-22 | Lakers | $1,153,832 |
| TOTAL | $115,777,250 |
Rajon Rondo Hall of Fame odds
Basketball-Reference's Hall of Fame Probability metric gives Rondo a 60.6 percent chance of getting the call to the Hall. Rondo has a greater Hall of Fame Probability than Dennis Johnson (50.90%) and Maurice Cheeks (54.66%), two championship guards who have both been enshrined.
According to the Basketball Hall of Fame, a player must be fully retired for four years to become eligible for enshrinement.
Here is a brief look at Rondo's Hall of Fame resume:
- Four-time NBA All-Star
- Four-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2x First Team, 2x Second Team)
- Three-time NBA assists champion
- Two-time NBA champion
- 2011-12 All-NBA Third Team
- 2006-07 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
