Rajon Rondo, who faces a long awaited free-agency stint next summer, has been the subject of speculation for years. One such rumor has involved the notion that Rondo is hard to coach or play alongside.
The season hasn't started yet, but already there has been talk about Rondo's coachability. While it came from within the franchise, it did not come from Celtics coach Brad Stevens. It did come from a man with knowledge of the team's interworkings, though, as co-owner Wyc Grousbeck added some credence to the long-standing rumors that Rondo is uncoachable on WBZ-TV's Sports Final Overtime (via Bleacher Report).
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"He's super stubborn," Grousbeck said. "I don't know how coachable he really is.
"I know if you ask [former, long-time head coach] Doc [Rivers], 'Was he the most coachable guy, or in the top half, 50 percent,' he’d say, 'No, he’s in the bottom 50 percent of being coachable.'" Grousbeck continued. "It’s hard with him."
But Rondo's run-ins with coaches are well documented. There have been rumblings since Kentucky that Rondo had issues with coaching, as Bleacher Report noted. Tubby Smith and Doc Rivers are down as having serious issues with Rondo in the past, according to reports.
Even with those problems, Rondo has experienced good moments with coaches as well, because winning can cure a lot of ills. As a supporter of Rondo in the past, Grousbeck is aware of this. Perhaps that is why he remains in favor of Rondo staying in Boston.
"It's intangible," Grousbeck said of why he wants Rondo to stay. "You just watch him. He played through sort of a broken elbow, a ripped knee. He's a gamer, he's a competitor, and he's got world-class talent."