Rondo: 'I am the best point guard' in NBA

Rajon Rondo has been quiet this offseason, despite his name being mentioned in a negative light when Ray Allen signed with the Heat. Rondo surfaced over the weekend in France, where he was attending the Nike World Basketball Festival in Paris.

In an interview with a French basketball website, Rondo made it clear he is as confident as ever, as he talked about his role as a leader on the Celtics.

"I did not choose that I wanted to be a leader or not," Rondo said, according to a translation on CelticsLife.com. "I must be one for my team. Every day, I get up telling myself I want to be better. I worked hard to get to this point and I continue to work hard."

Added Rondo: "I have matured a lot and my game has also. I think I am one of the best playmakers in the league. I think I'm the best point guard in the league."

Rondo, who has been the subject of trade rumors the past two seasons, said he understands this is "a real business," but he wants to be a Celtic for life.

"I hope so," he said. "But it is not up to me. What will happen will happen."

In another interview from Paris, Rondo talked about the moves the Celtics have made this offseason.

"I'm excited about [Jason Terry], excited about Jeff Green and Avery Bradley getting back from shoulder injuries," he said. "I'm looking forward to this team this year. We've got a lot of guys back from last year. We signed Brandon [Bass], we signed Kevin [Garnett]. We're going to have the chemistry there. We've just got to add a couple of new pieces."

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