9781422288016

Make Connections According to his family, teachers, and coaches, Rajon was always very smart. He just didn’t have any interest in doing his schoolwork. He wouldn’t do his homework and forgot to bring his books to class. Rajon didn’t complete his homework unless he was forced to do it. All this changed when he started playing sports. His mother and coaches warned him that if he didn’t get good grades, he wouldn’t be able to play. This strategy worked, and Rajon became a great student.

court, and passed it to Ray. Ray took the shot and scored the points. Many more baskets were scored this way throughout the game. The Celtics won the game by 39 points. Thanks to the efforts of Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the Celtics became the 2008 NBA champions. This was only the beginning for Rajon. In just his second season as an NBA player, he was already a star. There are still many years ahead of him. EARLY YEARS Rajon Pierre Rondo was born February 22, 1986, in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents are William and Amber Rondo. They had three other children together: Dymon, William, and Anton. His father left the family when Rajon was just seven years old. His older brother, William Jr., was eleven. Amber was forced to raise her children without the help of their father. She worked long hours at a Philip Morris factory. They make tobacco products, like cigarettes. Amber worked late so that she could make enough money to take care of her children. Her oldest son, William, looked after his siblings while his mother was at work. He also ran errands and cooked for the family if it was needed. Amber woke up early to take her children to school, but William sometimes made breakfast. Rajon and his siblings did not grow up in a very good neighborhood. Their mother couldn’t make enough money to afford a nice house. She did her best to make sure there was food on the table, but that was not the only problem her family faced. There was a lot of crime on the streets. If Amber wasn’t careful, her children might make friends with the wrong people. Amber found a great way to keep her children safe. Using the little money she made at her job, she built a basketball court in her backyard. It was a great idea, because it kept her children safe at home and encouraged them to stay active and healthy. She also bought her children a lot of board games, including Connect Four, Monopoly, and

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