Any of the Celtics' Panda Inflatable Bouncers Big Three has heard it. Often. The Cavaliers' LeBron James hears it nightly in Cleveland -- and even earned the actual trophy last week.
But when Rondo heard "M-V-P! M-V-P!" reverberate through the arena as the Celtics were edging toward their 97-87 victory Sunday, it was a new experience.
"That's cool," Rondo shrugged afterward, a grin tugging his lips upward. "[But] the MVP is over with."
Had it been awarded after the postseason, Rondo undoubtedly would have earned votes. He is just 24, in his fourth year in the league, already has one championship ring, and he was the sole reason Boston evened the Eastern Conference semifinals, 2-2, on Sunday. Rondo poured in 29 points on 9-of-21 shooting, dished out 13 assists and even snagged 18 rebounds despite being the shortest player on the court at 6-1.
"The kid wants it and he wants it bad," Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said. "He makes things easy, to be honest. He's driving and putting pressure on the defense. He's very smart. He knows when to stop and go, he knows when to pick up speed, slow it down, call sets. This game was just an extension of his maturity. It was a great win for us, but overall this is a heck of a stat line."
Rondo's Game 4 performance was on par with some of the legendary playoff outings in NBA history, notably Oscar Robertson's 32 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists in 1963, and Wilt Chamberlain's 29 points, 36 rebounds and 13 assists in 1967.
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