Rajon Rondo grew up in Louisville and became a five-star recruit and eventual McDonald’s All-American finishing up his high school career outside the state. When it came time for a college decision, he turned down the hometown Cardinals in favor of Tubby Smith and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Mark Pope is currently working on his own Rondo in No. 1 overall recruit Tyran Stokes, who is set to decide between Kentucky, Louisville, Oregon, Kansas and USC. Just how important would that be for the second-year coach in Lexington, still looking for his first big fish in the high school ranks?

It could help decide the best player to ever play for Pope, just as it did for Smith back in the day. That’s how the latter views Rondo, describing the two-time world champion and four-time NBA All-Star as the most talented athlete he’d ever coached in a sit-down interview with KSR.

Smith coached plenty of talent at Kentucky, but Rondo belongs in a category of his own.

“There’s not a better athlete than Rajon Rondo,” he told KSR. “I just thought that, pound for pound — it’s kind of like being a boxer. He could move up the weight class, move down in the weight class, and still be the best athlete.”

As for that other talent, guys ranging from national champions to Olympic gold medalists to the program’s single-game scoring record-holder, the UK Hall of Famer did his best to name as many as possible — he’d have to go on for days to hit everyone.

Smith is grateful for every single one of them and the opportunity to coach so many ‘special’ athletes.

“I had some great players here. You know, the Tayshaun Princes — who just went into the (Basketball) Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago. We were here to honor him, and I couldn’t be happier for him,” Smith told KSR. “The Jodie Meeks — who went into the (UK) Hall of Fame — the Chuck Hayeses, Jeff Sheppards, just on and on and on. Just some great athletes, and I just named a few. I don’t want to leave anybody out, but I know I have. But every one of them, Allen Edwards, they were all special. 

“Like I tell them, I love everyone that I ever coached, every player I’ve ever coached. I want them to know that and tell them I appreciate everything they meant to me and my career and my family.”

When you’re able to single out Rondo from that elite group, it means something. So what did his commitment to Kentucky mean in real time, especially knowing the Wildcats were able to steal him from his hometown of Louisville and the program’s arch-rival?

It was less about the rivalry and more about Smith’s need for a lead guard at the time. He wanted to pull off that win because he knew Rondo would help him win a ton of games in Lexington, whether or not he was beating his mentor, Rick Pitino, or his school’s in-state rival in the process.

“It’s just that we had a need, and we had a greater need for him than probably anyone else because we needed a point guard,” Smith told KSR. “Certainly Rajon had been great at Oak Hill Academy and at Eastern (High School) and in AAU basketball and had a great reputation being a very intelligent player, a very smart player, and he proved that while he was here. And he proved it in the NBA. …

“It was a great recruit. It was very gratifying and very satisfying. He helped us get to the Elite Eight again with that team. What more can I say?”

Smith’s only regret with Rondo — and many of his other great players at Kentucky? They couldn’t win more national championships together as Wildcats. He’s glad many of them went on to win titles in the NBA, but all greats deserve NCAA titles, too.

“Just like guys like Nazr Mohammed have national championships in basketball. The one thing I regret is that Rajon didn’t get an NCAA championship and Tayshaun didn’t get an NCAA championship,” he said. “Those great players that deserve — if they had a better coach, maybe they could have been [laughs]. They might have had a chance to win one. 

“But we were very fortunate to coach some good players.”

Could Pope be on the cusp of his own Rondo? That’s certainly the hope as the nation’s No. 1 recruit enters decision mode with the Wildcats among the top contenders to land his commitment.

And coming from experience, Tubby Smith says the juice is worth the squeeze.

Rondo feels the same way, just as he told the current Wildcats on campus ahead of the 2025-26 season.

“I’m from Louisville, Kentucky — so, right up the street. I was born and raised here. For me to wear this jersey, it was everything for me,” Rondo said. “I had a decision to make between Louisville and Kentucky, but for me, playing for Tubby, it was an undeniable decision that I had to make. …

“I love being here and I guarantee you guys will appreciate the older you get in life, my age, what this university means to you and your family. Embrace it, understand what it means to wear this jersey every night.”