NBA Draft: Top 30 draft steals in league history

Best NBA Draft steals of all time: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Every now and then in the NBA a player has the ability to be a unique offensive weapon, while generally lacking the ability to score at a high level.

Rajon Rondo is the epitome of that player.

After just two seasons at the University of Kentucky, Rondo entered the 2006 NBA Draft where he was selected 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns, then promptly traded to the Boston Celtics.

Rondo spent his rookie season primarily as a backup to guards Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West before he earned the starting point guard spot for the Celtics in his second year, appearing in 77 games.

Throughout his career, Rondo has never been a scoring threat with only two seasons in his career in which he averaged over 13.0 points per game.

His true offensive talent lies in passing.

For his career, Rondo has averaged 8.5 assists per game, including three separate seasons where he averaged over 11.0 assists per game. In those three seasons, he was the NBA’s league leader in assists per game.

Rondo also became known for his uncanny on-ball defense, earning himself four All-Defensive team selections and the 2009-10 NBA steals leader.

Rondo helped pilot the Celtics to an NBA title in the 2007-08 NBA season, defeating the Celtics long-time rival in the Los Angeles Lakers.

While he has bounced around the league towards the end of his career (he’s played for five different teams in the last five seasons), Rondo’s special passing ability continue to earn him high praise.

Sometimes it takes a unique talent to earn a long-standing spot in the NBA, which is why Rondo qualifies as one of the best NBA Draft steals.