In a relaxed interview hosted by Baron Davis with contributions from Draymond Green, former NBA point guard Rajon Rondo discusses his post‑retirement life and future career goals. Rondo shares that he is newly married, enjoying family time, and completing his college degree while interning with Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers to learn the coaching trade. He emphasizes a personal priority: being present for his daughter’s senior‑year milestones. Professionally, Rondo expresses a 100 % commitment to coaching and a desire to gain front‑office experience through internships, citing a call to his longtime mentor Danny Ainge. He praises JJ Redick’s rapid rise as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, noting Redick’s ability to manage star LeBron James and maintain player buy‑in. Draymond Green and Baron Davis repeatedly affirm Rondo’s basketball IQ, film‑study habits, and readiness for a head‑coaching role, urging him to pursue a top‑level job rather than settle for an assistant position. The conversation blends personal anecdotes, career planning, and peer endorsement, painting Rondo as a knowledgeable, motivated candidate poised for a coaching or executive role in the NBA.
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Man, congratulations.
Appreciate it.
So with school, you know, and now getting your degree, like what's life like after basketball? What's some of the things you into, you know, now that you retired?
It's been peaceful, man. You know, I'm a newlywed. I got married about 5 months ago. So, you know, I'm just enjoying life. Appreciate it. You know what I'm saying? Family built, moving to the crib. Like I said, educating myself. Spent a lot of time with the family. He's been, like I said, an AU coach. Just living life, man. Like I said, learning. I'm actually been messing with your boy Doc out there in Milwaukee a little bit, just kind of learning from him. Like, for some internship.
Yeah, call out Doc. Hey, go ahead. Hey, go ahead. Hey, go ahead, BD. Go ahead, BD. That was a joke. Oh, shit. Hey, woo, hit the button, Doc. Bring Ron, shoot Rondo right to the top. Man, would you go please save your coach, man? I thought you was over there full time. You need to go save Coach.
I got the kiddos, man. Nah, man, they, you know, a couple, these calls this year, man, they ain't helped them. They done been a victim of about 3 of them.
Hey, Draymond, even Rondo won't go. Even Rondo won't go. Even Rondo won't go. You come on, man. You can't have a coach all in the videos, all in the commercials.
Hey man, hey, that's my first win. That boy got my first chip, man.
But so y'all did that though. You did that.
But listen, it's my philosophy though, BD. I get that a lot though, but my thing is, If you got the talent, why don't you do that? He can't play for you. I ain't making an excuse for him, but I'm like, there were times in the huddle where he'd be like, look, if y'all on the same page, y'all do y'all thing. So it wasn't like—
Totally.
Maybe he's used to, you know, people being able to manipulate and do their own thing. But he said some great teams, name came up to, you know, came short obviously. But I felt like it was always on us regardless. Let's give us a talent. And then for me personally, with, you know, with the guidance of Mero around it, I was like, we can figure this out. 4 times before you beat us 4 times.
Yeah, I mean, you're a genius. I learned from all the best. You guys are fine. You know what I mean? Not everybody is DNA to learn. Some people have like incredible star power and incredible basketball playing capabilities, but there's like 2 levels of learning, then trying to learn the entire DNA.
You know what I mean?
And think like a coach, be more than a coach. And I think like you need that coach to be able to like, like at least push you in that direction. You got that gift, bro. You got a wizard bag.
You know what I mean?
Like you was a baby wizard already. You already had that. You know what I mean? KG had that. But a lot of times the coach gotta be able, you know, to set that buffet and say, look, these are all the other things that you can be capable of.
Though you mentioned, you said, I got the kiddos. So does that mean you were never full-time coach until, Like your kids graduate?
No, what I want to do though is be here for my daughter's senior year. So that was a big emphasis. Like, you know what I mean? My son, he just turned 13 a couple days ago. So I'm okay with him. You know what I mean? I have him enough. But like I said, I just want to be there for my daughter's senior year, all the prom, you know, the homecoming. She loves those parties. So I gotta be here.
You got that prom party. That's gonna be, woo. That's going up. That's going up.
She's prepped me enough for it.
So, you know.
Boys outside, so.
Coaching is ultimately what you want to do though?
1000%. And I want to mess with the front office too. You know what I mean? Like I want to do some internship. I'm gonna call Danny eventually. You know, one of my guys that believed in me from day one. So just like I said, the guys in the front office, want to get around and pick their brain, see it from that side. But I definitely love teaching the game and I would love to win this, you know, from both GM and a coach.
You know, moving to another franchise that you won a championship with, you got a young coach, guy who you played many of your years in the NBA with. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Possibly college. Y'all, y'all probably played against each other in college.
Yeah.
You got young JJ Redick, young in the coaching world, taking over the Lakers. What do you make of the job he's done and what do you ultimately think he becomes as a head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers?
I think he's done a hell of a job, you know, obviously getting 80, back to what we know he's capable of playing of. You know, first and foremost, you know, you want your best player to be at an all-time high, believing in you, very confident. And then you hear the comments in the media. You know, obviously everything is going to translate to wins, but at the same time, he's got the captains there, you know, Bron. Obviously they have a great rapport already. So just having that grace and understanding, you know what I mean? He's able to coach him as well, I think. You know, you've seen a couple times where they showed Draymond Green getting on Bron, which, you know, he's not combative in that manner, but he's able to be coachable. And with him able to doing that, stand his ground, the players see that. And I think that's allowing them to be like, okay, we believe in this guy. Yeah.
I look forward to the day you ready to make that jump. 'Cause don't give me the assistant coach stuff. Don't give me the, oh, like you need to—
Press the button.
You need to go through this. You need to go through that. And you don't have the experience. Don't give me that. Nah, I don't wanna hear that because What they do know is Rondo is one of the greatest basketball minds to grace the NBA. Rondo is an NBA champion already.
That's right.
Right? Rondo is an All-Star. Rondo is all defense. And you know he got the mind. He watched more film. And if you know anything about the NBA and the inner workings, you know Rondo watched more film than the coaches watch already as a player. So I just don't wanna hear when Doe is ready to take that leap and he looking for a job.
Call him, press him.
He's not looking for an assistant coach job. He's looking for a head job because JJ's doing it. He's showing you that it's possible.
Right.
And we know how smart Rondo is. So I don't wanna hear it.
Give me some pieces. We gonna crack, you know what I mean? That's all I need. I got the blueprint. Just give me the pieces.
