Brian Scalabrine Tells A Tale About The One Time Mark Jackson Tried To Outsmart Rajon Rondo

You could tell me Rondo stories from now until I’m dead and I’d never get sick of hearing them. This one I particularly enjoy because it proves, in his heart of hearts, that Mark Jackson thinks he’s super savvy. You know, the same guy who was playing David Lee over Draymond Green, that savvy fella.

But this is more about Rondo, who over his career has been routinely chastised for being lazy throughout the regular season during non-national televised games. Here’s a game where he probably wasn’t giving 100% on defense in terms of picking up the ball full court or putting his man on his back when a shot went up. But he still was the most prepared person in that building.

During this past Celtics-Cavs series LeBron got a whole heap of credit for somewhat remembering a series of plays that had just happened roughly 30 minutes prior to being asked about them. Which, to his credit, is becoming more impressive considering his own teammates have a tenuous grasp at best on the score while the game is in progress. But for Rondo to know an opposing team’s playbook is one thing. For him to know a team that he’s only going to see twice a season’s playbook is another level up. For him to know that team’s plays by name in the middle of the regular season to the point where when the opposing coach calls out a bluff you stare him dead in the eyes and tell him that’s not a play, stop wasting my fucking time you rube, is what makes Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo.

Scal said the game happened in Boston, but here’s a top three Rondo assist that just so happened to play out in front of Mark Jackson’s face.