Breakfast of Champions

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=bostonceltics&id=4716085&city=boston





ESPNBoston.com | December 4, 2014



Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers got breakfast together Thursday morning at The Paramount in Beacon Hill. Just two professional basketball players with a noted mutual admiration talking shop on an off day for their rival squads.

A couple of years back, we probably would have been none the wiser of the confab. But in the age of social media, the pictures popped up on Reddit, then went viral on Twitter. In a week, your grandfather will get wind of the meeting and shake his fist while screaming about how Bill Russell would have never fraternized with a rival player.

But in this modern NBA, friendships abound. What makes the Rondo-Bryant tandem so intriguing is the fact that both players seem to have bonded over being antisocial.

The Rondo-Bryant friendship is well documented. Back in 2013, after Rondo's season ended due to a torn ACL, Bryant got a good belly laugh when told how some believe Boston might be better off without their prickly point guard.

It's no secret that Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo have mutual admiration. "I love everything about him. Everything," Bryant has said about Rondo.

"You don't want Rondo? Send him my way," Kobe told ESPN Boston. "I love everything about him. Everything. I love his attitude, I love his chippiness, his edge, his intellect, his know-it-allness. All of it. That's what makes championship players.

"What guard have you seen at his size that will get you 18 assists, 17 boards and 20 points all in one game? That's unheard of. I love that kid. I always make a point of talking to him during All-Star [Weekend]. He's one of my favorites."

More recently, Bryant complimented Rondo by saying, "From what I understand, he's an a--hole, like me." Rondo responded soon after by noting, "That's a great compliment, coming from Kobe. I feel the same way about him."

And so the man who passes too much and the man who doesn't pass enough got together Thursday morning for some orange juice and toast. Celtics fans immediately suspected Bryant of tampering, while Lakers fans raced to ESPN's trade machine to figure out a way to get the point guard they often say is totally overrated but would love to see in purple and gold to help rescue the 2014-15 season.

At least this year's Celtics-Lakers matchup is getting some buzz now. Before Thursday morning, the Boston-L.A. game was just a gathering of two teams trying to avoid another year in the lottery; a reminder of the rebuilding process that each franchise is navigating with the pressure of a combined 33 title banners staring down at them.

The Celtics are trying to steady themselves after a frustration-filled first month of the season, but their future remains murky, especially with Rondo set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. The 36-year-old Bryant says he's willing to be patient with Los Angeles' rebuilding process, but he clearly would prefer to hit an accelerator pedal before his arms go numb from all the shots he's taking.

OK, so maybe he was recruiting Rondo.

For the sake of discussion, let's imagine that Mitch Kupchak and Danny Ainge elected to get breakfast on Friday morning at The Breakfast Club in Allston (all that '80s nostalgia will make both general managers feel relaxed). Kupchak offers up a couple of first-round picks (let's ignore the fact that that is complicated by the picks the Lakers already owe) and Steve Nash's expiring deal. Does Ainge laugh him down Western Avenue, or does he say, 'Hey, let's talk again in February?'

It's long been the belief from this writer's vantage point that the Celtics are most likely to keep Rondo on the roster through the end of the season, then evaluate their options this summer. There's a line of thought that suggests Boston isn't going to attract any other star talent without paying Rondo max money to remain the centerpiece here. There's a value in having a guy whom someone like Bryant lauds on your roster. Alas, even with the potential for sign-and-trade options, there's no guarantee of a return on Rondo's value if he gets to the open market.

While Ainge might not be inclined to trade Rondo and has maintained a high price tag on him, he probably wouldn't mind if his phone kept ringing about him. Sure, the rumors will get out of control soon enough -- and Rondo will lament this spin through the rumor mill -- but it's better to have buzz around your star player than not to.

Ultimately, all Thursday's breakfast snapshot did was hammer home how much more fun it is when the Celtics and Lakers are title contenders and not trudging their way through the uncertainty of rebuilds. When these two teams are on top of the NBA, there's a lot more to talk about at the breakfast table.



bob
MY NOTE:  If Danny traded Rondo for Nash and two firsts that aren't expected to be franchise players I think he'd get run out of town.  Wouldn't be like him though.  I think Dsnny's looking to go the other way and trade away picks for players, not get more.

Russell and Chamberlain used to eat together the night before they played. Among top competitors, mutual respect doesn't dampen the competition once they're on the floor, and say what you will about Rondo and Kobe, you can't doubt their competitiveness.

Outside wrote:Russell and Chamberlain used to eat together the night before they played. Among top competitors, mutual respect doesn't dampen the competition once they're on the floor, and say what you will about Rondo and Kobe, you can't doubt their competitiveness.

Outside,

Yeah, I thought that comment about Russell was a bit 'greenhorn' for a Celtics-beat writer.



bob




.

Bob I thought the post was going to be about Budweiser.

Next year LA will have some cap space of around $30 million if they renounce a few players.

I would not be that surprised if Rondo signed with them.  Of course a lot depends on how well the Celtics do this year.

The fireworks promised before free agency turned out to be duds.  Rondo has already been through a rebuild and he may not want to go through it again.  If it is going to take years to become a contender again I see no reason why he should stay.

And since he is scrutinized so closely a change may be the best thing for him.

Add Rondo to the Lakers and it may make other free agents more enticed to also sign there. This is all just a lot of speculation.

There are just as many reason why Rondo would not go there.  Kobe is averaging 26 ppg but shooting a career low 39% from the field.  The celtics have more talent than the lakers and more future picks to add more talent.

It comes down to DA finding a deal to add the missing pieces and/or a suitable trading partner for Rondo.

My preference is that he stays and acccepts a salary increase that will not blow the top off the cap.  I am think a $15 million deal for 5 years is just about right.  $20 mill or higher is too high.

Rondo has struggled to maintain consistency although he is still getting a lot of assists and rebounds.  I think he is less than 100% because I notice a slight hitch in his step.  He is still quick but is no longer lightning quick.  His stamina for end to end action is also less.  

Mentally he is having a problem being the leader on this team.  He has always been a stoic type of person.  And there is no other player to step up and lead this team (Green, Bradley, Bass ...not vocal...KO and Sully...too young, Wallace...too old and he does not play much.

Getting a go to guy would take a ton of pressure off of him.

dboss

Free agency is a mirage in the vast majority of cases. Trades and the draft are where teams are built.

"Greenhorn" hardly begins to describe the assholicism involved in using Russ as an example.

The ability to blend respectful socializing and intense competitive spirit is best exemplified by the time when Russ and Sam Jones went to Wilt's house for dinner the day before a game in Philly. They socialized; but, before Russ and Sam left, Wilt told Sam that, if Sam persisted in shooting over him (Wilt) in the lane and then saying, "Too late," Wilt was going to deck him. The remainder of the story is long, but the short version is that Sam did just that in the ensuing game, and Wilt flattened him. Wilt stood over Sam and said, "Are you going to do that again?" And Sam answered, "Not tonight."

Sam

Sam

I was surprised by the Fosberg article.

He's been around long enough, I would think, to know more of the folklore. And if he did not know about that you would think that he watched the NBA TV special where Bill Russell talked extensively about his relationship with Wilt on and off the court.

Dboss

dboss,

I can only hope, for his sake, that the writer was making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the lack of knowledge of the public.

Sam