Celebrating Rajon Rondo's Greatest Moments as a Boston Celtic

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski and ESPN.com's Marc Stein both reported on Thursday that the Boston Celtics had reached an agreement that will send four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks.

Your first reaction may be a 125-point daydream starring Rondo, Tyson Chandler, Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki. And that's certainly understandable. This team was already good, and it may well become the Western Conference's team to beat in short order.

But before getting lost in all the possibilities, it's worth taking a moment to reflect. Though the Kentucky product's best days might be ahead of him, he's already had some pretty good ones with the Celtics. A unique and in some ways prototypical point guard, Rondo has given Boston some blood, plenty of sweat and maybe even a few tears.

Now in his ninth season, the Celtics drafted Rondo with the No. 21 overall draft pick in 2006, forever altering the franchise's history in the process.

Here are the moments we'll remember most, loosely ranked in terms of all-around awesomeness. 

7. Breakfast with Kobe

Brian Babineau/Getty Images

ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg reported earlier this month that Rondo and Kobe Bryant had breakfast together prior to Boston's 113-96 win against the Los Angeles Lakers, describing them as, "Just two professional basketball players with a noted mutual admiration talking shop on an off day for their rival squads."

But it's the unmitigated praise Bryant offered his friend afterward that made the occasion especially memorable.

"I love everything about him," he told Forsberg. "Everything. I love his attitude, I love his chippiness, his edge, his intellect, his know-it-all-ness. All of it. That's what makes championship players.

"What guard have you seen at his size that will get you 18 assists, 17 boards and 20 points all in one game? That's unheard of. I love that kid. I always make a point of talking to him during All-Star [Weekend]. He's one of my favorites."

Bryant and Rondo now share the experience of leading once-relevant clubs through uncertain times, and they might have shared the court with one another had the Mavericks failed to get a deal done. The Lakers were among the teams linked to Rondo by Forsberg and others.

6. The Hustle Play

On paper, it was a 4-of-14 shooting performance that only yielded 11 points. But great players don't let numbers stop them from making a profound impact.

Rondo snagged two of his points in a hustle play that drew comparisons to a similar rundown by former Celtic Dave Cowens in the 1974 NBA Finals. He flew down the court in the second quarter in pursuit of a loose ball, outhustling opposing point guard Jason Williams and setting an early tone in Boston's 94-71 Game 3 win against the Orlando Magic in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals.

"What he's doing is, he's leading the team," then-head coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the victory. "He's playing with great focus. He has a great sense of what to call offensively. And now he's giving an amazing effort, never giving up on any possession. When you have that speed and then you have that heart, you become a pretty good player."

Rondo's skill and IQ have been well-documented, but effort has been every bit as important to his body of work.

5. First Triple-Double

Steve Babineau/Getty Images

After winning a title in just his second pro season, Rondo continued to make serious strides under Rivers—and it showed in 2008-09.

He recorded the first of 18 career regular-season triple-doubles with 16 points, 17 assists and 13 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 3, showing off his versatility with the kind of gaudy production that's since become relatively commonplace for Rondo.

"He was amazing," then-teammate Kevin Garnett told reporters after the game. "It was like there was three Rondos. I looked up and it came off the rim and he is grabbing a rebound, then I got back on defense and he beat me back. He was everywhere tonight."

Though he'd only tally one more triple-double during the 2008-09 regular season, he had three in the playoffs—with two coming in Boston's opening round against the Chicago Bulls. Over the years, the multidimensional floor general has become one of the league's very best at stuffing the stat sheet.

4. Triple-Double for the Ages

Rondo secured his second triple-double in three games with Boston's 115-111 overtime win against the New York Knicks back in March 2012. This time, though, it wasn't just any triple-double.

He put up 18 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds, recording a triple-double with at least 17 of each for the first time since Magic Johnson did it in 1989, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

"I know we're all in this together, but it's great when he takes over like that," Rivers told reporters after the performance. "He's the smartest point guard I've ever been around. He's a brilliant player like that."

Rondo was unrelenting, adding five points, five rebounds and two assists in overtime when Boston finally pulled ahead for good. Even with iconic veterans at his side, he was nothing short of essential in virtually all phases of the game.

3. Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Rondo's skill and energy levels have made him one of the league's most dangerous triple-double threats over the years, but he saved one of his finest performances—and one of the most impressive by anyone in postseason history—for when the Celtics needed it most.

Trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1 in the 2010 conference semifinals, Rondo posted 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists en route to a 97-87 victory. Coming off a demoralizing 124-95 loss in Game 3, Boston desperately needed some confidence.

And Rondo's never had a shortage of that.

Boston proceeded to win its next two games against the Cavaliers and take down Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic six games into the conference finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers ultimately denied Rondo a second title in the NBA Finals, but the quintessential facilitator continued to shine in his fourth season, cementing his status as a competitor who rises to the occasion when the pressure's on.

2. Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals

Career-defining moments usually occur in the context of wins, but Rondo orchestrated a notable exception during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat—a 115-111 overtime loss in which the do-it-all point guard tallied 40 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt noted at the time, "In the past 26 NBA seasons [now 28], no point guard has had at least 40 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a playoff game. Not one. Not Magic Johnson. Not Steve Nash. Not Allen Iverson. Not Isiah Thomas. Not Tony Parker. Not Chris Paul. Not Russell Westbrook."

Widely known for his ability to distribute, Rondo's outburst served as a reminder that he was selfless by choice. When needed, this guy can score, too.

"First of all, Rondo was absolutely amazing tonight," LeBron James told reporters after the contest. "The performance he put on tonight will go down in the record books. ... He showed tonight why he's an all-pro and one of the superstars in the league. He's a unique player. He's an unbelievable player."

The postgame accolades came from far and wide, and the Celtics went on to win their next three games against Miami before finally succumbing after a classic seven-game series. The defeat marked the second straight season in which Boston was ousted from the playoffs by Miami and in many ways signaled an official changing of the guard out East.

But despite the broader disappointment, Rondo added something significant to his individual legacy. For the series, he averaged an astounding 20.9 points, 11.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game—finishing with a triple-double in Game 7's 101-88 loss.

1. The Championship

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

The 2007-08 season marked a lot of firsts for Rondo. It was his first time in the playoffs after a rough rookie season, his first time playing alongside stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen—imported in team president Danny Ainge's bid to restore his franchise to respectability.

In turn, it was also Rondo's first—and so far only—title.

Though he wasn't the centerpiece of the star-laden effort, he certainly did his part in the wake of a strong regular-season sophomore campaign, the first in which Rondo was a full-time starter. The up-and-coming fourth wheel helped Boston to a six-game victory against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, recording a then career-high 16 assists in Game 2 and tallying 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals in the decisive Game 6 blowout.

It was the beginning (and high point) of Rondo's successful run with the trio of more established veterans.

"This is the reason we came here," Garnett told reporters after the game. "This is the reason we got together, and Danny made it go down. This is it right now."

And while the Celtics would reach the Finals again in 2010 (this time losing to L.A.), it soon became clear this particular superstar experiment wouldn't last forever.

Which brings us back to the Mavericks trade.

With Pierce, Garnett and Allen all having eventually gone their separate ways, Rondo remained with an organization that hadn't quite internalized just how expansive its rebuilding process would be. Set to turn 29 in February, Rondo is far better suited to a franchise in win-now mode.

Now that he appears to have found one, 2008 may not be the last time Rondo gets his hands on that Larry O'Brien Trophy.