Brett Favre's Influence Knows No Bounds

Rajon Rondo is an excellent player, a possible All-Star, and some might say, the future of the Celtics. But he's always had an unorthodox game, and is only recently combining that with more traditional point guard play.

One possible explanation? His hero is Brett Favre, not only a football player, but one known for his idiosyncratic play. From the Boston Herald:

However distasteful the task may be, Celtics fans have to give props to the aging quarterback. It apparently was Favre, more than any point guard over the last 15 years, who had an impact on the rugged way Rondo plays his position.

"I grew up watching football and baseball," said Rondo, a former high school quarterback. "I didn't know I had hoop dreams. I watched Brett Favre."

When asked to break down his young point guard, Doc Rivers praises Rondo as a throwback, a guy who "when he runs the pick and roll, he's not thinking of how he can score. He's looking for the way to run the team in the best way possible." But as the Herald notes, "Rivers gave his answer without comparing Rondo to anyone from back in the coach's era." Which is to say, even if everyone from Gary Payton to Tony Parker gets thrown around in an attempt to pin down Rondo's game, maybe the missing link is none other than Favre.

Allen Iverson was a star option QB in college, but has never appeared to have a football-influenced game. You'll see no hint of Nate Robinson's defensive back days at UW on the court, unless he's taking down J.R. Smith in a brawl. With Rondo, we might finally have the NBA's answer to Antonio Gates -- a player who owes some of his success to his football background.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.