Rondo scores eight points, dishes four dimes in 19-minute debut
Even with a 107-104 loss hung on them, Friday night as a major positive for the Boston Celtics.
Yes, the rival Los Angeles Lakers stole a win at TD Garden, but that was of little consequence in the big picture.
Rajon Rondo returned, and that is cause for celebration. It's been nearly a year since Rondo last played and 11 months since he had surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his right knee, and on Friday he came back.
Before the game, it was announced that Rondo was also now the 15th captain in Celtics history, an honor that was news to Rondo when it came over the public address system.
Stevens on naming Rondo captain: "I never told him. It's something you earn through your effort, leadership. He earned his captaincy."
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 18, 2014
After a shaky opening stint, Rondo rebounded to finish with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting, adding two rebounds, two steals and four assists in 19 minutes.
It was, by all accounts, a very positive step, and the only thing left is to see how his knee feels on Saturday.
You can catch up on Rondo's return in the story stack below, including his cryptic tweet announcing his return, his Friday introduction, his opening air ball, his first bucket and more.