Once again, the spotlight shined on Rajon Rondo and his contract situation prior to Sunday’s game against the Hornets. Rondo's contract has been a focal point of the 2009-10 season. The Celtics have until Monday to reach a contract extension or Rondo will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Rondo made clear his hope to remain in Boston for his career, but acknowledged that it is “unlikely” that he will be able to do so given the reality of player movement in the NBA.
“It’s unlikely [I finish in Boston] but I want to,” Rondo said. “It’s very unlikely because it’s like five guys that’ve played in the NBA for their entire career. Paul [Pierce] is one of them. You’ve got guys like Ray [Allen] and Kevin [Garnett] that are future Hall of Famers that haven’t been on the same team their entire careers. …
“It’s a business. I want to be here, but you never know what’s going to happen.”
Ray Allen has seen this scenario unfold before. A young player gets consumed with contract negotiations, loses focus, and lets the business side of the game impact his performance. All of a sudden a contract year goes from profitable to damaging.
“I've been in this situation in this league and I've had guys on my team in that situation,” Allen explained. “It weighed on them hard all season long because they were wondering and questioning.”
Rondo is trying to make sure that doesn't happen to him. The 23-year-old point guard is doing his best to stay focused on basketball rather than business.
“It's not a big deal really to me,” he said before Sunday's game against the Hornets. “I'm focused on the season. Maybe if it was October 1 or before September something when I'm not playing or preparing to play a game, I may have been thinking about it. But since it didn't happen then, it's not a big deal. I'm focused on the season.”
Since contract negotiations are out of his hands, Rondo is addressing the things he can control. He said it would be unfair to his teammates if he only thought of his personal situation. He has dedicated all of his focus to the success of the Celtics. In fact, the only time he speaks with his agent, Bill Duffy, is when Duffy calls him.
His veteran teammates appreciate how he is addressing this ongoing issue. Both Allen and Marquis Daniels are playing in the final year of their contracts and agree that Rondo is handling the negotiations with a veteran’s maturity.
“He's handling it great,” said Daniels. “Of course you're going to think about it, but at the same time you can't let that bother your game from what you do and how you play. You've got to go out there and continue to play basketball and do what you do best. That's what he's been doing. He's been leading the team, we've been getting the win, and everybody knows that at the end of the day you're winning and that's all that matters.”
Allen points out that perhaps the most difficult aspect of playing in a contract year is facing the barrage of questions from the media, especially reporters who cover the visiting team who are chasing the hottest storyline. Allen has learned over the years how to publicly address impending negotiations, saying, “I'm not even worried about it,” in regard to his own expiring contract.
“I think that's the hardest thing, I think, for any young player to be thinking about it because you get asked so many questions about it,” he said. “It's just the business of it. It's the business of the game that you have to deal with. When you play, this is probably 10 percent of your day. You discuss it and then you move on from it.”
Aside from addressing the media and playing basketball, Allen notes there is another aspect of contract negotiations that many young players may not realize. Organizations look for more than just talent when signing players. Image and reputation go a long way as well.
That point is particularly important for a player whose character had been put under the microscope this summer. President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge revealed on WEEI that Rondo had been fined for tardiness and did not believe he was a max contract player. A recent story from Yahoo! Sports told of Rondo's failed attempt last season to hold a team meeting, which only created more tension among players.
This season, however, Rondo has a better understanding of the game off the court.
“I think he's learning,” said Allen. “He's starting to learn, not knowing the philosophies, he's learning how to handle being professional 24-7, being professional not just when you go out and play basketball, it's community, your community work, how you deal with your teammates, how you deal with your organization, it's how you deal with everything. And I told him that's what encompasses some of the best players in the league making some of the money they make because you have overall responsibilities, not just you being the best basketball player.”
While Rondo has listened to the advice of his veteran teammates, he is used to learning from himself in this league. Just as no one could prepare him to win an NBA championship in his second season, he will use his own experiences to best handle contract negotiations.
“I've heard about it, guys have told me who have been through a contract situation but you have to go through it yourself to experience it,” he said. “They can tell me as much as they want but until you go through it yourself you don't know exactly what they're talking about.”
RSS Center
