Rajon Rondo and LeBron James made their Lakers partnership work by putting winning ahead of ego and understanding their roles.For Rondo, there was never any question about who should be running the show.The veteran point guard had spent most of his career controlling offenses and creating opportunities for teammates.He led the NBA in assists three times and averaged more than 11 assists per game in four different seasons.But when Rondo arrived in Los Angeles and began sharing the floor with James, he understood his role had changed.I knew my role at the time. Were two alphas, but at the same time, I pride myself on being a star role player, Rondo said on The Draymond Green Show. So, for me, I fell in line. I knew what it was. It was no ego beating the chest, it was Im going to have an opinion, which he always respected along with the coaching staff. So it was always just a hell of a lot of respect we had for each other. Nobody takes care of their body like him. Hes arguably the greatest player of all time, he was very disciplined. He goes over and beyond what the average, or even some of the great NBA players have done.That willingness to adjust helped Rondo and James develop a partnership that ultimately ended with a championship.Instead of competing for control of the offense, Rondo became a secondary playmaker and allowed James to operate as the Lakers primary initiator.At the same time, Rondos experience and basketball IQ gave Los Angeles another trusted decision-maker whenever James needed to play off the ball or leave the floor.The partnership reached its peak during the Lakers 2020 championship run.Rondo elevated his game in the playoffs, averaging 8.9 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 40 percent from three across 16 postseason appearances. Alongside James and Anthony Davis, he helped Los Angeles defeat the Miami Heat in six games to capture the franchises 17th championship.READ MORE: Jonathan Kuminga Sacrificed Millions to Choose Timberwolves
