Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics family mourns the loss of 12-time NBA champion, two-time NCAA champion, Gold medal-winning Olympian and Hall of Famer, K.C. Jones, as we celebrate his remarkable career and life.
The Celtics released the <a href="https://www.nba.com/celtics/celtics-statement-on-kc-jones-passing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">following statement</a>: "Where K.C. Jones went, winning was sure to follow. K.C. &ndash; his given name &ndash; was a 12-time NBA champion as player and coach, a two-time NCAA champion, and a Gold medal-winning Olympian and Hall of Famer. In NBA history, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have more championship rings during their playing careers. K.C. along with Russell, Clyde Lovellette, Jerry Lucas, Quinn Buckner, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and Michael Jordan, are the only players in history to achieve basketball&rsquo;s &ldquo;Triple Crown&rdquo; &ndash; winning an NCAA Championship, an NBA Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal. His number 25 has hung from the rafters since 1967.
"K.C.&rsquo;s coaching career was similarly illustrious. He was named to lead the Celtics in 1983, beginning what is one of the most remarkable head coaching runs the NBA has seen. K.C. helmed the Celtics for two of the most memorable seasons in the team&rsquo;s rich history, first leading the team to a championship in 1984 over the Lakers during a peak of that storied rivalry. Two seasons later, he led what many consider the greatest team in NBA history, the 1986 Champion Boston Celtics. These were the highlights of an astonishing four consecutive seasons in the NBA Finals, one of the most impressive and beloved Celtics eras.
"K.C. also demonstrated that one could be both a fierce competitor and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He made his teammates better, and he got the most out of the players he coached. Never one to seek credit, his glory was found in the most fundamental of basketball ideals &ndash; being part of a winning team. The Celtics family mourns his loss, as we celebrate his remarkable career and life."
BasketballNews.com offers our sincere condolences to Jones' family and friends.

K.C. Jones - a 12-time NBA champion, two-time NCAA champion, Gold medal-winning Olympian and Hall of Famer - has passed away.

Hall of Famer K.C. Jones passes away at 88

Rajon Rondo will opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers to become an unrestricted free agent, BasketballNews.com learned on Thursday.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely opting out,&rdquo; a league source said.
Rondo, who played a key role in the Lakers' Game 6 victory and helped the organization win their 17th championship, has a player option worth $2.69 million for the 2020-21 season. By opting out, he will enter the market as the most experienced point guard available in terms of championship pedigree. Even though he isn't opting in, Rondo could still re-sign with the Lakers.
In addition to his most recent title with the Lakers, Rondo won a ring with the Boston Celtics in 2008 when he played alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. He is the second player in NBA history to win a title with both the Celtics and the Lakers (Clyde Lovellette was the first).
The 15-year veteran has spent the past two seasons with the Lakers, joining the franchise after LeBron James signed there as a free agent. He spent his first nine seasons with the Celtics and has bounced around since then, playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans.
Rondo has appeared in 121 career postseason games, including these most-recent 16 playoff contests with the Lakers. He was a crucial component in the second-quarter surge that propelled Los Angeles to a 28-point halftime lead in the clinching Game 6 of the NBA Finals, going 6-for-6 from the field in the quarter and finishing with 19 points in 30 minutes on 8-for-11 shooting.
His first championship came during his second season in the NBA, so this one was quite different.
&ldquo;To be able to come back and redeem myself and play a big part in this championship is definitely a hell of a feeling and something I&rsquo;ll remember for the rest of my life,&rdquo; Rondo said, adding that he was additionally thrilled that his son, Rajon Jr., was able to join him in the NBA bubble for this one.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very blessed to do it while he&rsquo;s able to understand, at nine years old, that his dad is a champ,&rdquo; Rondo continued. &ldquo;Twelve years ago, he wasn&rsquo;t born yet, so for him to be here, and my daughter at home watching, it&rsquo;s definitely a surreal feeling.&rdquo;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/rondo2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="793" height="AUTO" />
Rondo finished the playoffs with 105 assists off the bench, which set a new NBA record for the most by a player off the bench since they started tracking this stat during the 1970-71 season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
On ESPN&rsquo;s First Take on Tuesday morning, Rondo, 34, <a href="https://youtu.be/l0mL7h_3WEU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was asked about his future and what he thought his career held moving forward</a>. Rondo didn&rsquo;t shut down the idea of leaving the Lakers.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m definitely going to entertain it,&rdquo; Rondo said of free agency. &ldquo;Obviously, always thinking about running it back with a great group of guys and coaching staff. I can&rsquo;t thank those guys enough for giving me a shot the last couple of years. It&rsquo;s been amazing playing for this organization.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My agent and I will sit down and talk, but right now, I&rsquo;m just kind of enjoying the moment, continuing to ride this high out. I don&rsquo;t want to think about free agency right now; I&rsquo;ve got a couple of months to do that as well. Right now, I&rsquo;m going to enjoy the time with my family, friends, take a lot of great vacations and keep enjoying life.&rdquo;
A league source said things have moved quickly since that TV appearance, and Rondo&rsquo;s plans are set.&nbsp;
He will arguably become one of the top free-agent point guards on the market, joining Toronto&rsquo;s Fred VanVleet, Utah&rsquo;s Mike Conley (who has an Early Termination Option) and Miami&rsquo;s Goran Dragic among others.&nbsp;
Our Spencer Davies recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agent-point-guards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked all the free-agent point guards available this offseason</a>, and it is fair to say that Rondo, because of his experience, will be a more sought-after veteran than other free-agent point guards such as the Clippers&rsquo; Reggie Jackson, Atlanta&rsquo;s Jeff Teague, Orlando&rsquo;s D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams, and Washington's Shabazz Napier.
It is anyone&rsquo;s guess as to where he might end up, but Toronto could be a fit if VanVleet leaves, as would Milwaukee <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-eric-bledsoe-chris-paul-kevin-love-jrue-holiday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">if Eric Bledsoe is traded</a>. Ironically, he also would seem to be a great fit for the runner-up Miami Heat, who struggled in the NBA Finals after Goran Dragic went down with a foot injury in Game 1 and didn't return until Game 5.&nbsp;

Rajon Rondo will opt out of his contract with the Lakers and become an unrestricted free agent, sources told BasketballNews.com.