The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2010s, ranked

32) Rajon Rondo

Former Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo was still coming into his own at the start of the 2010s but broke out during the decade. Rondo started his career in the shadow of Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, but quickly emerged as a key player on the Celtics teams of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

From 2009–10 to 2012–13, Rondo made four straight All-Star appearances as well as an all-NBA team. He also led the NBA in assists twice and steals once. While Rondo was one of the best point guards in the league at the time, the Celtics decided to trade him to the Dallas Mavericks.

That deal turned out to work out far better in the Celtics favor than it did for the Mavericks. Rondo failed to live up to expectations, and he lasted less than a season with the team before he joined the Sacramento Kings. 

From there, he played for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, and LA Lakers to close out the decade, but failed to replicate the success he had with the Celtics during the early part of the 2010s. Still, in 590 games, Rondo put up 10.7 points, 9.5 assists, and 5 rebounds per game while making four all-star teams, making him one of the best point guards from that era.