Rajon Rondo's stint with the Dallas Mavericks was short, messy, and, by most accounts, a disappointment. The trade from Boston came with sky-high expectations — everyone expected him to push Dallas toward the playoffs — but it never really clicked on the hardwood.
Still, for the man himself, that rough patch wasn't just a setback; looking back, Rondo admitted that although the experience was painful at the time, it ended up shaping him in important ways.
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Looking back, Rondo didn't try to gloss over what went down in Dallas. He knew those months had left a mark — not just on his reputation, but on his market value too, especially since free agency came calling right after.
Yet even amid all the frustration, the former point guard said he walked away with something valuable: a hard-earned lesson that reshaped how he approaches the game and handles adversity.
"No doubt about it," Rondo said back in early January 2016. "I had a tough three, four months in Dallas. It hurt, but it helped as well," he said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen "Johnny" soon left Dallas to join the Sacramento Kings, he realized he was stepping into a far healthier environment. He openly admitted that he held no regrets about how things had played out and believed that everything happens for a reason.
Rondo also made clear that the Dallas stint was just one of many challenges he had faced in his career—each one of which he, as competitive as they come, managed to overcome.
"You go through what you go through. You handle adversity, and I think it made me hungrier. I never [started] doubting myself. It made me work a little bit harder. I think I worked the hardest I've ever worked in the NBA this summer. I'm a competitor. I never doubt myself. Always people have counted me out since I got in the league. It never made me any difference," said the two-time NBA champion.
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Bounce-back season with the Kings
After leaving Dallas, Rondo hit a bumpy stretch trying to carve out a new spot in the league with doubts about his game and personality hovering over him.
Sacramento eventually gave him a shot, and "Johnny" grabbed it with, transforming what could have been a setback into a season that reminded everyone why he's one of the game's smartest floor generals. His scoring went up, assists climbed, rebounds ticked higher, and his shooting became noticeably more efficient across the board.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUltimately, for some, it might come as a surprise — especially given the controversial moment when Rondo reportedly "quit" on his Mavs teammates during a 2015 playoff game against the Houston Rockets — that he went on to speak highly of the franchise.
"I have nothing but love for that organization," he said. "They're all good people. They treated me really well."
Rondo also called Mark Cuban, the former Mavericks majority owner, a great guy.
Cuban, too, has downplayed any drama surrounding the stint.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I like him. I had no problems with him," he said. "It just didn't work. That's part of basketball."
Cuban even pointed out that he and Rondo still keep in touch — a telling sign that the whole Dallas chapter never turned into a personal feud.
Still, you can't help but wonder how ex-Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle views the whole situation. Word is, he and Rondo clashed on multiple occasions, and it's safe to say their relationship was — and probably still is — decidedly frosty.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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