Philadelphia 76ers: If Elton Brand can be an NBA GM so can Rajon Rondo

How does GM Rondo sound, Philadelphia 76ers fans?

Did you happen to catch the pregame coverage for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, specifically Rachel Nichols‘ interview with Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo?

Potentially a game away from winning an NBA Championship, his first since 2007-08 under now-Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, Rondo touched on a variety of topics ranging from his style of play to the weight of the game, but one comment stuck with me more than any other: Rajon Rondo wants to be an NBA GM.

I know, crazy, right? Known for his on-court mastery of the point guard position, wouldn’t Rondo be better suited on the sidelines than in some stuffy office building stowed away from the action? Well, Rondo didn’t sound too opposed to that idea either, but based on his body language and enthusiasm, it’s clear the four-time All-Star is more interested in building teams then coaching them in their day-to-day operations.

More from Section 215

And honestly, why not? If Elton Brand can do it, why can’t Rajon Rondo?

Now sure, say what you will about Rondo’s reputation as a player – see his postseason dismissal from the Dallas Mavericks a few years back – but no one is going to argue that he doesn’t get basketball. Per his conversation with Nichols, Rondo has a bit of a reputation for being so prepared for what an opposing team plans to do that he often quite literally calls out their plays and mocks players who are out of position.

Sidebar: Calling out an opposing team’s plays and mocking out of position players is beyond a baller move. Rondo’s trash talk is in like 3020.

Like Brand, Rondo is a multiple-time All-Star who has a ton of postseason experience. Though he’s yet to reach the player-coach status that Brand achieved during his final few years in the league, it’s clear Rondo’s starter days have gradually gone the way of the mid-range shot – reserved for must-win situations and the slowed-down pace of playoff basketball. If Rondo is down with this career path and wants to keep vying for ‘Chips as a member of the Lakers – or maybe even reunited with Rivers in South Philly – I imagine that route will be open for the next half-decade, but if the on-court aspects of the game have run their course, a transition into the front office could be rather seamless.

Take, for example, Brand’s path to from player to general manager. After hanging up his kicks in 2016, Brand was hired by the Sixers to serve as a “player development consultant” before being promoted to the general manager of the then-Delaware 87ers in 2017. Is that a rather quick elevation? Yeah, one would assume there’d be a few steps between a consultant role and a literal general managership – assistant general manager anyone? – clearly the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Group felt confident enough in Brand’s job in Delaware to hand him Bryan Colangelo‘s vacant role post-‘Burnergate‘.

Really, all Rondo needs is a chance to prove his worth, and he could be building his own teams before he turns 40 in 2026, the very same age Brand was when he took on the Sixers’ general managership.

Next. Doc Rivers and Chris Paul aren’t exactly best friends. dark

While he may not be the most popular person in the City of Brotherly Love, one has to seriously sit back and marvel at Elton Brand’s resume. He was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2000, arguably one of the top-10 players in Los Angels Clippers history, and a rare player who was waived off a max contract using the Amnesty clause. He retired twice, played 711 total minutes over his final two seasons in the league, and went from a bench warmer to the man for Jimmy Butler in less time than it takes to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management. If that dude can land a GM job with the Philadelphia 76ers, why can’t Rajon Rondo when he eventually retires?