Rajon Rondo Hints That Not All Boston Celtics Hate Losing Enough

The pointed message from Rajon Rondo was unmistakable, no matter how diplomatic the fiery Boston Celtics point guard tried to be. According to Rondo, more of his teammates need to adopt his “sore loser” mentality. He thinks it’s the only way for the C’s to get out of the ugly rut they’re currently mired in. Per the Boston Globe: “The frustrating part is just losing,’ he said. ‘I’m a sore loser. It’s tough to lose.’ Then he put it in broader terms. ‘Everybody isn’t,’ he said. ‘You’ll learn that everybody isn’t a sore loser. Some teams are OK with losing. Some guys are OK with just getting a check. But everything I do, I compete. So, this four-game losing streak is frustrating.’ He stopped short of pointing fingers. ‘I can only judge myself,’ Rondo said. ‘That’s my New Year’s resolution. I don’t want to judge anybody this year.’ […] There’s no connection between how much a player sulks and how much he cares about a loss, head coach Doc Rivers said, so he doesn’t read into reactions after losses. ‘You’ve still got to learn from losing and learn from winning at the same time,’ Rivers said. ‘Clearly there are guys that are more emotional than others. That doesn’t mean the other guys don’t take it just as poorly.’ Still, it’s a place the Celtics are used to being in and have no desire to be stuck in. ‘You go through adversity every season,’ Rondo said. ‘It’s nothing to get too down about. It’s a long season. I’m staying positive. I haven’t lost faith or hope in this team. I still have high expectations. I know we will turn it around.'”