“It was a freak accident" - Rajon Rondo recounts decade-old playoff incident by claiming Dwyane Wade 'tried' breaking his elbow on purpose

Rajon Rondo may not be in an NBA roster anymore but he made the headlines with a recent claim related to Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. Rondo made an appearance on the “View From the Rafters podcast.” There, he talked about Wade and an incident from the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals. Rondo said:

"That particular play, like I said, it was kind of a freak accident. We were teammates after that, so it's no bad blood, but I think he broke it on purpose, or tried. He's a competitor."

Rondo, who was a part of the stacked Boston Celtics squad at the time, went on to play alongside Wade for the Chicago Bulls. The former Celtics guard added that he respected Dwyane Wade as a competitor.

"I don't think it was targeting me in the locker room or it was talks to take me out or anything like that," Rondo said in the podcast. "He was playing, tried to make a play on the ball and ended up making a play on my elbow."

While the injury seemed worse when it happened, Rajon Rondo continued to feature in the series. When asked about it during the podcast episode, he said:

"Adrenaline, just like every other injury. For me, it was a mindset. I went back in the locker room, they're trying to shoot me up, trying to tell me I shouldn't play. I'm like, 'I gotta go. I'll be back later, we can figure this out a couple weeks from now.'"

Rondo's participation even after the injury didn’t help Boston much as Miami won 4-1. The Heat, however, were in for a shock as an inspired Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to a 4-2 upset of Miami in the NBA Finals.

A look at Rajon Rondo’s NBA career

Rajon Rondo might be without a team right now but it takes nothing away from the two-time All-Star. Rondo is among the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. He is a three-time NBA assists leader (2012, 2013 and 2016).

Rondo ranks 14th in the all-time assists leaders list with 7,584 assists in 957 games. He had 500 or more assists in seven seasons, the highest being 839 in the 2015-16 season with the Sacramento Kings.

While Rajon Rondo was an all-time great playmaker, he was also known for being a disruptor for opposing offenses. He was the league leader in steals for the 2009-2010 season with 189 of them.

Rondo’s two NBA titles came with the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers in 2008 and 2020, respectively.