Thursday, April 19, 2012

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Rajon Rondo turned the right way, made the right choices. Enough right turns and right choices to avoid the plentiful pitfalls of his surroundings, and to write his own remarkable chapter in the sporting history of his hometown. He might not be the Greatest of All Time, but he's the latest greatest -- even if almost nobody saw it coming. The only basketball goal in College Court resided in Amber Rondo's backyard. She paid for it with the money she earned working at the Phillip Morris tobacco plant. The single mother wanted it because it would keep her four children close to home instead of roaming a risky area.House rules also dictated that when the streetlights flickered on, the Rondo children must be home. The front porch became a board-game battleground -- Connect Four, Monopoly, Battleship, you name it.Whenever he lost, Rajon demanded rematch after rematch after rematch until he won.Family, friends and faith helped keep Rajon Rondo on the porch and off the streets. The Rondos attended services at Little Flock Baptist Church and received plenty of oversight and guidance from aunts, uncles, neighbors and coaches at every turn.Will was a football player who ultimately earned a full ride to Murray State. Rajon, five years younger, started down that path, as well -- a quarterback in football, a pitcher in baseball and a point guard in basketball. He liked being in charge.But the painfully skinny kid wasn't built to take the knocks of the football field. Eventually, he found his true calling in the gym.His huge hands and long arms, coupled with startling speed and leaping ability, gave him an advantage over his less athletic peers. Then his knowledge of the game and his craving to master it separated him.The only thing that could hold him back was himself. Doug Bibby was first.

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