Is Rajon Rondo a lock for the Hall of Fame?

Two-time champion and retired NBA point guard Rajon Rondo watched his 2008 championship Boston Celtics teammates Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen present their former head coach, Doc Rivers, as part of the Class of 2026’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement. Rivers cemented his NBA coaching legacy in Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, where coaches and players alike receive the ultimate achievement, which begs the question: Is Rondo next for the Class of 2027 Basketball Hall of Fame?

If so, he would be the fifth Hall of Fame career, including Sam Cassell, from the 2008 champion Celtics to be enshrined. Rondo, who attended Rivers’ ceremony, has a strong case. The two-time champion, who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a title in 2020, is a four-time All-Star and three-time assist champion. He also led the NBA in steals in 2009-10.

Rondo averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 16 NBA seasons. The pass-first guard is 15th all-time in assists (7,584) and 17th in triple-doubles (32). In an era full of score-first guards, such as Hall of Fame point guards Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and Chauncey Billups, Rondo’s unique style of play in the late 2000s and into the 2010s was a throwback to legends of the 90s.

In his heyday, Rondo was more of a John Stockton meets Jason Kidd hybrid. In a league full of Derrick Rose, Damian Lillard, and Stephen Currys, Rajon reminded an older generation of a new-age Mark Jackson. Rondo was more Mark Price than Gary Payton. He never came close to having a 20+ point season, posting a career-best 13.7 points twice (2010, 2013) during his eight-and-a-half seasons with the Celtics.

However, neither Jackson nor Price is in the Hall, making Rondo’s case all the more interesting. His two championships, which neither Price nor Jackson earned, give him a slight edge over his assist-first successors.

Rondo’s wizardry with the ball made for some of the most eye-popping assist highlight reels of his era. He averaged 11+ assists four times throughout his career, including his lone season with the Sacramento Kings (11.7) in 2015-16. And playing alongside Hall of Fame talents such as Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, the Celtics didn’t need him to score at a high rate.

Instead, he made life easier for his teammates, getting them the ball exactly where they wanted it, while competing for championships, including two NBA Finals (2008, 2010), and three Eastern Conference Finals (2008, 2010, 2012) appearances during the Celtics’ Big 3 era. Rondo also made one All-NBA Third Team, two All-NBA Defensive First Teams, and three All-NBA Defensive Second Teams. Plus, his fingerprints were all over the Lakers’ title run in 2020.

Alongside future Hall of Famers LeBron James and Anthony Davis, one could make a case that Rondo was the third-most important player a part of Los Angeles’ 4-2 victory over the Miami Heat. While Rondo’s regular-season career numbers aren’t as compelling as the score-first guards of his era, those stats spiked in the postseason.

Rondo averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 10 career playoff appearances.

Doc Rivers makes his Hall of Fame case for Rajon Rondo

Ahead of his 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement, Doc Rivers called for Rajon Rondo’s induction. When a reporter asked Rivers who should enter the Class of 2027 Basketball Hall of Fame, he said that Rondo’s the first that comes to mind. For him, he’s a lock.

While Rivers believes Rondo is a future NBA head coach, he thinks the former point guard should be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player.

“Rondo’s going to be in it. But Rondo comes to mind right away. I’m assuming Rondo’s going to be in. I’m saying that,” Rivers said. “The reason why Rondo’s not in is because every two years he goes back and plays another month. And then, they have to start the process back over again. I honestly think, coaching-wise, Rick Carlisle should be next.”

Doc Rivers says Marcus Johnson and Rajon Rondo belong in the Basketball Hall of Fame: “Rondo’s going to be in it. But Rondo comes to mind right away.

I’m assuming Rondo’s going to be in… coaching-wise, Rick Carlisle should be next” pic.twitter.com/kDl0eA0Spe

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) August 14, 2026

Rondo experienced various injury setbacks during his prime, including a dislocated elbow in 2011 and a torn ACL in 2013. He also had thumb and hand fractures throughout his latter years (2017-20) that limited his play. The effort he put forth on the floor, including drives to the rim and carelessly diving for loose balls, came at a price.

We’ll never know what Rondo’s full potential would have looked like throughout his impressive career. After his eight-plus seasons with the Celtics, Rondo, who played for five teams in four seasons, was a journeyman by the time he reached the Lakers in 2018. Then, he played for the Hawks and the Clippers before rejoining the Lakers in 2022, and ended his career after 21 games with the Cavs.

Reputation matters for Basketball Hall of Fame candidates. And while Rondo did bounce around the league in the second half of his NBA career, aside from a controversial exit with the Mavericks, where he clashed with head coach Rick Carlisle, Rajon undoubtedly entered the conversation for Hall of Fame enshrinement after his championship with the Lakers.

Whether Rondo’s name is called in 2027 or not, his legacy as one of the league’s best pass-first point guards and a two-time champion of his era, coupled with four All-Star selections and assists/defensive accolades, should eventually lead him to Springfield.

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