Keyon Dooling talks about Rondo

Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Has there ever been another Celtic to garner so much respect in so little time despite all the initial prejudice against him?1 If Celtics overachieve this season under Rondo's leadership, one major factor will be the slightly under-the-radar signing of Dooling as a Player Development Coordinator. Or something else. Whatever. We all know the real title should read "Graceful Presence."

Steve Bulpett of Boston Herald has got some great quotes from Dooling on Rondo's development both as a person and a player.
“We still have to get him to reach his full potential,” Dooling said. “He’s getting there, but he’s not all the way there yet. In this league, there’s a time and a point where it all clicks, and he’s on the cusp of that. We’ve just got to work to get him over that.
Now, a million people can say this to Rondo and it will just fly by. It's a totally different story when it's Dooling, a respected teammate, a long-term friend, a truly honest person, and someone who believes that Rondo is the second best player in the NBA says it.
“I just want him to get it,” Dooling said. “At the end of the day, I just want him to get it. And just because he doesn’t have it yet doesn’t mean I’m not fighting that fight with him or walking that walk with him. I’m trying to get him to that point so he can reach his full potential.
There are few other quotes about the details, but this is the main theme. Dooling has been unofficially signed as a mentor for Rondo, and his approach should provide a relief to anyone who has been worried about Rondo's emotions, selfishness, chemistry with teammates etc.


1 On the other hand, we've recently seen many stories where initial respect for players eventually faded. I can name Shaq, Big Baby, Murphy etc. from the top of my head. ↩
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