Rajon Rondo: One-armed and Dangerous
As long as there has been sport there has been courage, fearlessness, and an incredible tolerance to pain. Yet, it is hard to find anyone who has displayed more toughness than Rajon Rondo did for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their series against the Miami Heat.
Just over seven minutes remained in the third quarter when he was dragged to the ground by Dwyane Wade, whom he was aggressively guarding. What happened next silenced the Boston Garden. He put out his left arm for protection, but as his hand touched the floor his forearm bent.
He writhed in pain, and his teammates huddled around him, immediately concerned. One in particular, Jermaine O’Neal, thrust his arms into the air, clearly frustrated by Wade’s maneuver and the injury that ensued. It was a nightmarish sight, as the team doctor and coaches knelt beside their all-important point guard. There he lay for a few minutes, just under Miami’s basket, and when he was helped up his arm was cradled motionless.
He headed back to the locker-room, and there it was presumed he would remain. Immediate diagnosis by this fan was a broken arm. ‘He’s done for the series,’ I, and many others, thought. ‘There’s no way he’s coming back from this. He’s out for the rest of this game. He has to be.’ That was the consensus.
Just over seven minutes remained in the third quarter when the injury occurred, with the Celtics up 60-50 but feeling Miami’s heat. They were suddenly without their emotional leader. They may lose their confidence, in turn, the game, and then the series.
As it turned out, they weren’t completely downtrodden following the gruesome scene. They somehow managed to build upon their lead, keeping it in double-digits due to Kevin Garnett’s offensive surge and the team’s stifling defense. But no matter what was happening on the court, they had a reality to face: Rondo was in the locker-room.
ABC’s announcing crew soon got word that Rondo had dislocated his elbow. Given this unfortunate news, certainly it would be Delonte West running he point for the remainder, right, especially with the Celtics regaining composure and control?
There seemed to be no other possibility, but then the unthinkable happened. Rondo walked out of the tunnel, joined his teammates on the bench, asked back into the game, knelt by the scorer’s table to a resounding applause from the stunned fans, and stepped back onto the court, replacing West. With that, he became this generation’s Willis Reed.
The team doctor had popped his elbow back in. With everything in its proper place he evidently had one mindset, and head coach Doc Rivers let him give it a go. Some fans had to think he was crazy. I tend to think he let him play because the team, being down 2-0, needed a motivation lift that, in itself, could potentially sway the series.
Could he perform, though? Upon re-entering at the beginning of the fourth, dangling his limp limb, he played one-armed, and unbelievably did so beautifully. Rivers gamble paid off. It was an unforgettable moment.
There was plenty of time for the Heat to come back and take a 3-0 series, but the emotional impact of Rondo’s return was enough in itself to greatly diminish their chances. And he just happened to dwindle them even more with his play, which was undoubtedly better than when he had two working arms.
He stole a pass intended for LeBron James using his injured left arm, sped downcourt, dunked with his right, and didn’t even wince. The crowd erupted. How is he doing this?
He wasn’t done, playing excellent defense, making another inside basket, and feeding Paul Pierce for the exclamation point on an impressive win. All eyes were on him.
Afterward with ESPN’s Lisa Salters, he said his arm was “throbbing,” and added, “it’s definitely tight, it’s an experience I’ve never felt before.” He also mentioned he just wanted to help his team defensively. After all, as he later said, “I only need two legs for that.”
(thanks to @ddockett for the title’s inspiration)
