Rajon Rondo was back on a basketball court being swarmed by defenders Tuesday.
It wasn’t exactly the same as the last time we saw him — this time it was the public court at Malcolm X Park in Boston and the defenders were kids who use the park, swarming around their Celtic hero. Last season Red Bull donated $500 for every steal Rondo made to refurbish courts at parks in the city. Rondo’s thefts generated $76,500.
Tuesday he was out for a dedication and talked about a few issues with A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Starting with his elbow, which suffered a gruesome injury in the playoff series against the Heat.
“I had a check-up today (Tuesday),” Rondo said. “It’s getting there. It’s still a little swollen, but other than that, no problem. I’ll continue to work on it.”
Rondo added that he’s able to fully extend the arm now, “so right now I’m fine.” He added, “I can play a little bit. Not too much contact. I did three push-ups today. I’m starting back to working out.”
That’s good news. The question is come the fall will Rondo and his elbow be in Boston getting ready for the season or in Kentucky, where he will re-enroll and work towards his degree (and workout with the Wildcats team) if the lockout drags out and games are missed. Like you and me, Rondo isn’t sure how it will all break out, but he’s not optimistic.
At least we know Boston youth are getting to play on a nice new court thanks in part to Rondo.