Celtics guard Rajon Rondo has been sitting out the second of back-to-back games this season as he continues coming back from knee surgery. So with plans to miss Boston’s game Monday night against Chicago, Rondo will do the next best thing.
Join Mike Gorman on commentary.
Rondo will announce the first quarter of the Bulls-Celtics game for CSN New England before giving way to Celtics radio analyst Cedric Maxwell.
Mike Gorman has formed one of the most iconic local broadcast teams with Tommy Heinsohn over the years, but Tommy no longer makes road trips with the team. That has led CSNNE to look for unique alternatives to sit beside Gorman, which now includes a current Celtics player. Rondo is looking forward to the opportunity:
“I’m practicing, I’m prepping,” Rondo said. “I just figured it’d be something to do with Mike and Tommy. I’ve known them since I’ve been here and they’ve always been generous to me. I just see it as a chance to do something different, have a little fun with Mike.”
What does his coach Brad Stevens think of Rondo moving down the sideline from the bench to the broadcast booth? He’s happy for Rondo… as long as he doesn’t divulge too much information.
“I think it’s great that he’s interested in doing that,” Stevens said. “He’s a guy that understands the big picture of, right now he’s a professional basketball player, but in 10 years, 12 years, he won’t be. So what does he do from there? These are great opportunities for him to grow and maybe find something down the road that he likes to do.”
“I think it’s great,” Stevens said. “Should be good insight. He knows he can’t give too much insight. We’ll go over all the rules on Monday in pretty good detail.”
Zach Lowe at Grantland notes that this is a trend around the NBA that should continue to grow – players stepping into the broadcast booth when they miss a game. Not only do the fans get to hear one of their favorite players in a new environment, it provides unique, relevant insights for the telecasts. That current perspective is always a great addition to any game broadcast. If Rondo takes to broadcasting, it may also just be a window into a second career after his playing days are done.
