Best Game Ever: Rajon Rondo’s came with international flair

Dan Woike asked NBA players to tell us about the best game in their basketball career. This week: Rajon Rondo.

Jan. 5, 2004: Oak Hill Academy 126, Adecco Estudiantes 90

55 points, 17 assists

Rajon Rondo was under the initial impression that his “best game ever” had to be an NBA game. And, the Lakers’ veteran point guard has had some good ones. This is a player who has won an NBA title. A player who once had an absurd triple-double: 18 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists. But once Rondo was informed that he could choose any game he ever played, he switched up. “That changes things,” he said. For Rondo’s “best game ever,” he went back to high school for an international challenge.

“That’s a tough one. I think I’ve played a lot of great games. But, I would probably have to say it was a high school game. I was at Oak Hill [Va.] Academy. We were in Barcelona, Spain, playing against [future NBA first-round pick] Sergio Rodriguez. His team was really big-time over there in Spain. I had 55 and 17. Josh Smith, who was our star player, had gotten into foul trouble early. I had to kind of take the game over and put the ball in the hole more than I normally do. I was a senior. It was completely different. I’ve been abroad, but not at that age. We were young. I was 17 at the time. The food was completely different. I don’t think I ate much there. Cars were different. It was a different culture. They whistle there; they never clap as an ovation or as applause. So, that game, I got a lot of whistles.”

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