Google News Lakers' Rajon Rondo 'excited' to play alongside Russell Westbrook
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Rajon Rondo insists wisdom is the key to winning a championship and underlined that the Los Angeles Lakers have a ton of it. The Lakers have the oldest roster in the NBA and 35-year-old Rondo is the fifth oldest player on the team.
"Wisdom is definitely key to winning a championship," Rondo said. "We have a lot of that, obviously, with the age and experience on the court. I'm most excited about not being the oldest guy on the team anymore. I'm actually about [fifth oldest] now, so that's a big step for me going from two months ago I was the oldest guy on the team and now I'm one of the young guys." Not only that the Lakers are the oldest team this season, they are also one of the oldest teams in NBA history.
Besides Rondo, the Lakers' roster also featured Carmelo Anthony (37), Lebron James (36), Marc Gasol (36), Trevor Ariza (36) and Dwight Howard (35). "I'm looking forward to it, looking forward to the naysayers saying our age being a problem, but you don't have longevity in this league without discipline," Rondo said.
"We have guys that have the mileage, but there's a reason they're still playing in this league at this level for so many years. So I'm not worried about anything or the spectators saying age makes a difference. I think the mind is going to be a big key in why we win this year."
Rondo excited to play alongiside Russell Westbrook
This summer, the Lakers formed a Big 3 by trading for Westbrook and pairing the former NBA MVP with James and Anthony Davis.
"More excitement, more energy in practice," Rondo said of playing with Westbrook. "Looking forward to a lot more competitive competitions with him and other guys on the team. It's a helluva team as far as a lot of competitors, and I'm looking forward to getting better each day in practice with those guys." Rondo expects to be healthy this season and contribute regularly to the Lakers.
"It hasn't been 10 years; I don't think I've changed much, I don't think my game has declined," Rondo said. "But you're only as good as your coach believes in you. And going forward, this year, looking at this Lakers team and the roster, understanding where I am in my career, at the same time I think I can still bring a lot to the game. But my main focus is, if we win, nothing else matters."