In the time it takes a fan to go to the bathroom and back to their seat, Rajon Rondo had his elbow popped back into place in the locker room, and came back out to the court to lead the Boston Celtics to victory in a crucial Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semis.
Just a few minutes after hitting the floor and having his elbow bend like a wet noodle, Rondo was back out there. For the rest of the game, he looked to be playing with one arm, drastically favoring his uninjured right hand, but made impact plays as the Celtics pulled away from the Heat to make the series 2-1 in favor of Miami.
It was a truly inspiring, gutsy performance, which is not something that I've come to expect from NBA players in recent years. Watching Rondo run the offense with his left arm hanging limply beside him brought me to my feet in my apartment as I cheered the spunky young point guard.
Despite being on the outside of the "Big 3" for the last three seasons, Rondo has arguably the team's most important player. With the Heat drawing close, one of Rondo's first plays back in the game involved him getting his left (injured) arm in a passing lane, and taking it himself for an easy dunk. On the replay you could see him wince as he batted down the ball, but the adrenaline took over as he glided to the basket.
Rondo put his career on the line, risking further injury, for his team. There's a reason he's become one of the most respected players in the league, and his undeniable toughness evidenced last night makes it even easier to draw comparisons to Jason Kidd, one of the greatest point guards in the history of the league.
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