Ainge on The Big Show: '(Rondo) is going to be a terrific point guard for the Celtics'

Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ainge, in an interview on WEEI's Big Show on Friday afternoon, clarified some of his recent comments about point guard Rajon Rondo earlier in the week. While Ainge has been portrayed as having been critical of Rondo during an interview on the Dennis & Callahan Show -- in which the G.M. acknowledged that Rondo had been fined for the "unacceptable" act of having been late for practice during the playoff series against the Magic -- he insisted that any concerns about the point guard's behavior were isolated, and that the team has moved on from them.

"I think we value Rondo more than anybody else in the league values him and we know everything about him -- all the good and the bad that comes with a 23-year-old kid who's been put in a pressure kicker," said Ainge. "I think he needs to mature, like we talked about. But I like Rondo's attitude. I like Rondo's competitive spirit. I think the kid, he's late for a playoff game -- we're not going to condemn him for the rest of his life. We took care of it and it's over...I'm amazed at how people want to take the little things and blow them out of proportion."

Ainge also said once again that he does not plan -- or want -- to trade the 23-year-old.

"We never had any intention of trading Rondo -- or Paul Pierce, or Kevin Garnett, or any of our core players, Ray Allen -- unless something absolutely blows you away. It is my responsbility to listen and take calls and have discussions to see what those conversations may be," added Ainge. "He's going to get better. He's going to get older, and get more experience. And he's going to be a terrific point guard for the Celtics in the NBA for a long time."

To listen to the complete interview on the Big Show, click here.

For a transcript, click here.