Rajon Rondo made an appearance at the Knicks’ first official practice of the season on Tuesday, spending time around the defending NBA champions.
The two-time NBA champion has recently developed a relationship with Jalen Brunson, who said he had the opportunity to get to know Rondo better during the offseason.
“I got to talk to him, got to really get to know him this summer,” Brunson said. “I definitely watched him. He was just so creative and someone who was innovative in the way they play basketball.
“Definitely an icon when I was younger. So it was really cool to get to know him and his family.”
New Knicks center Andre Drummond also discussed his previous experience with New York, having faced the team as a member of the 76ers. He remembered Knicks supporters filling Philadelphia’s arena during their second-round playoff series.
“It was crazy,” Drummond said Tuesday. “It felt like an away game the whole series. They came down and took over the entire arena.
“Crazy seeing some of the fans from [Philadelphia] even wearing Knicks jerseys, too, so the Knicks fanbase is just far and wide. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. It’s the basketball Mecca, so they did what they were supposed to do.”
Brunson also responded to recent praise from LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who both spoke positively about the Knicks star during their respective media days.
“I really do appreciate it and I respect the hell out of them,” Brunson said. “It’s honestly really cool, and it’s a sign of respect. To hear that from those guys, I really do appreciate it. It’s just like a lot of things – when you hear praise, when you hear negativity, it has to go through one ear and out the other. You gotta continue to be the best version of yourself or people are gonna pass you. I really do appreciate it, it shows where I’ve grown, but still got a lot of work to do.”
