Recently, an NBA fan saw Rajon Rondo at a sneaker store and mistook him for a rival point guard.
Rondo may look a bit different from Chris Paul, but the two do share a few similarities.
Both came into the NBA in the mid-2000s and quickly developed a reputation as two of the league’s better passers and floor generals. They’ve also been two of the game’s most competitive point guards, as they’ve been known to play with chips on their shoulders.
It’s always possible that the fan didn’t actually mistake Rondo for Paul, but intentionally called Rondo “Chris Paul” to try to get a rise out of him.
Early last season, the two players were involved in a heated fight that saw them suspended for multiple games. Paul, who was then playing for the Houston Rockets, accused Rondo of spitting in his face just before the fracas broke out.
Rondo is averaging 7.4 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 assists a game in 21.2 minutes this season. His game may have declined a bit, but he will likely still be valuable to the Los Angeles Lakers come playoff time.