A Kentucky basketball legend shared a special message with this year’s team
At practice this week, a former Kentucky legend came to speak with Mark Pope’s team, and that legend is Rajon Rondo. The NBA Champion and former Wildcat came to share some wise words with this 2025-26 Kentucky team, and it was a cool moment for Big Blue Nation to be able to witness via video.
Here are the wise words that Rondo shared with the Kentucky basketball team: “For me personally, obviously, a couple of you guys might not know I’m from Louisville, Kentucky, so right up the street. Born and raised here, and for me to wear this jersey was everything to me. I had a decision to make between Louisville and Kentucky, but for me, playing for Tubby, it was undeniable the decision I had to make. I remember coming in and playing right away with this fan base. I played with a lot of great organizations from L.A. to Boston. Every time I get an opportunity to be out in public, it’s always Kentucky fans who come up. They are the most loyal fans to this day. This is home for me. I always call it home. I guarantee that when you get older in life, my age, you will appreciate what this university means to you as a whole and your family as well.”
Coach Pope wants all of his players to want to win games for the name on the front of the jersey, and the speech Rondo gave really is a testament to this philosophy.
It was really cool to hear that a player like Rondo, who has played for the Lakers and Celtics, two of the biggest fan bases in all of sports, still hears mostly from Big Blue Nation. This says a lot about Kentucky fans and how much they love their players.
This is the type of video Coach Pope can show to recruits over the coming years, just to truly show how crazy Big Blue Nation is about their players.