Kevin Garnett equates Rajon Rondo's level of play with Kobe and LeBron, discusses MVP candidacy

After Rajon Rondo's 20 assist game against the Raptors today, much of the post-game discussion surrounded Rondo's potential MVP candidacy. Jason Terry said that Rondo is the best point guard in the NBA and deserves to be considered in this year's MVP race, and Kevin Garnett likened Rondo's abilities to that of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. From KG's post-game interview with WEEI's Ben Rohrbach:

“I’ve never played with a point guard who is in control of the flow the way he is,” said the 14-time NBA All-Star. “Probably if anybody comes to mind I’m thinking Sam Cassell. He was pretty good at controlling the flow; he could score the ball. But as far as both ends, controlling the game, understanding the flow, knowing when to slow it down, [Rondo]‘s probably the best at it. He’s very conscious of the game from both ends. Usually, you have a point guard who’s a scoring point guard or you have a point guard on the other side of the ball, which is the defensive side, but but as far as 48 minutes on both sides of the ball, he’s the best at it.

“I’ve always looked at someone as the MVP as someone who makes his player not only better, but is able to dictate the game from different stat-wise, is able to get rebounds, does multiple things for his team. That’s personnel. That’s preference. Obviously, I’m going to be biased, because I play with him, and I see his growth and I see how hard he works, but when it comes to his presence on the game, that’s hard. That’s up there with the modern day Kobe [Bryant]s and LeBron [James]es and all that, so I think he gets his knock, because he doesn’t score the ball and all that stuff. But when you look at the overall package, it’s unbelievable what he’s doing.

Kevin Garnett also went on to explain that he recognized Rondo's abilities from the first week he got to Boston in 2007:

“After the third day when I first got here, we were doing pickup without you guys knowing, and you could see his potential from how he was dictating the pickup games. I’m not saying he was scoring the ball, but he was dictating a lot of plays from both ends. I evaluate the game from not just a scoring perspective, but a defensive perspective, too. I told him a long time ago, when I first met him, that he had the potential to do both — that he had the energy and the IQ to do both — and it was up to him. Obviously, you all see what this product is coming out to be, and the future is whatever he wants it to be. I’ve always said with Rondo it’s always between his ears, and consistency is everything. Whatever you put into this, that’s what you're going to get out of it, and he’s doing a great job of it.”

As Celtics fans, we all believe that Rondo can and should be the MVP. We recognize his importance to our team, and his vital role in running our offense. We know how far he has come in terms of his maturity and his development as a leader. And we have seen how hard he has worked to improve his shooting. There is no player in the NBA currently like Rondo. Will those who vote on the league's MVP also be able to recognize it this year? Only time will tell. But Rondo's teammates know that his abilities are akin to those who have earned Most Valuable Player honors in the past.