Rivers, who coached Rondo for nine seasons in Boston, praised his former point guard's basketball intelligence and revealed that Rondo remained around the Bucks throughout the 2025-26 campaign as he continued learning the coaching side of the game in an interview with Marc J. Spears.
"I think Rajon Rondo is going to be one hell of a coach," Rivers said. "He's the smartest human being I've ever coached, and he works at it."
"He was with me all this [past season in Milwaukee]. Now he's a savant, and that doesn't go well at times, because he sees [the game differently]."
Damian Lillard Rajon Rondo
Damian Lillard Rajon Rondo
Damian Lillard Rajon Rondo
Credit Milwaukee Bucks - X
Rondo moving toward coaching career
Rondo's reputation as one of the NBA's smartest point guards followed him throughout his 16-year playing career. He was known for studying opponents, reading defenses and frequently directing teammates on the floor.
His most successful years came under Rivers in Boston, where Rondo became the starting point guard of the Celtics' 2008 championship team alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Boston returned to the NBA Finals in 2010.
Rondo ultimately became a four-time All-Star, earned four All-Defensive Team selections and led the NBA in assists three times. He later captured his second championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Since ending his playing career, Rondo has increasingly explored coaching. His time around Rivers and the Bucks provided another opportunity to study the profession from inside an NBA organization.
For Rivers, there appears to be little doubt that Rondo has the basketball mind required to succeed on the sidelines. The bigger challenge could be translating the way he sees the game into something every player can understand - something Rivers alluded to when describing his former point guard as a "savant."
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