Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Shocked By Rondo In Pick Up Games

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Shocked By Rondo In Pick Up Games

Published on June 30th, 2012

The number 2 pick in the NBA draft, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, says was shocked by how good Rajon Rondo was when he played with him...


 

Posted by Daye Kaba
 
Lottery draft picks Austin Rivers, Anthony Davis, and Michael Kidd Gilchrist have all had the chance to be around Rajon Rondo. Since the Celtics' starting point guard went to school at the University of Kentucky, he stopped by on campus during the lockout and played pick up basketball with the Kentucky players. This is what the number 2 pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, said about Rondo after playing with him:
 
While Rivers has obviously been around the Celts a while because of his dad/coach Doc, he received an important talking to from Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett during the playoffs.
 
Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist, meanwhile, got to meet and work out with Rajon Rondo[stats], who went back to the University of Kentucky during the NBA lockout. One NCAA title later, Davis still got wide-eyed when talking about the Celtics point guard.
 
“I played with him sometimes, and sometimes I played against him,” he said. “He’s an awesome player, a great passer. He’s a great, awesome passer.
 
“Some of the things that he did just wowed me. Sometimes we would just stop the game, like, this game is over. It was unbelievable.”
 
Away from the pickup games, the freshman sensation also picked up an appreciation for Rondo the person.
 
“I got to know him,” Davis said. “He’s a nice guy.
 
“Guys make it seem like he’s this evil devil and all that, but he’s actually not. He’s a very nice guy.”
 
Kidd-Gilchrist had a similar experience.
 
“I had fun with Rondo,” he said, warming at the mention of the Celtics All-Star’s name. “He’s cool. He’s a great person — a great person to be around, period.
 
“I learned a lot from him. I learned a lot — from ball to school to just anything.”
 
This isn't the first time that I hear someone say this about Rondo. He is known to be absolutely ridiculous in pick up basketball, because he sees the whole floor better, and earlier than everyone else playing. A friend of mine actually witnessed it, and told me that when Rondo played, even the most normal pass looked fancy. I started looking at Rondo's passes in NBA games after that conversation, and realized that indeed, even in the NBA, Rondo rarely does a regular, basic 2-handed pass. Unless he is throwing it to Ray Allen coming out for a wide-open 3-pointer, you will, more often than not, see Rondo throw a spectacular pass. 
 
Most people don't necessarily see Rondo as a sociable person, but if Kidd-Gilchrist says that he is, it must be true. The fact that he comes out of the University of Kentucky might have automatically helped Kidd-Gilchrist's relationship with Rondo.

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