Lakers’ Rajon Rondo Passes Kobe Bryant on All-Time Playoff Assist List

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

With seven assists in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday night, Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo passed Kobe Bryant on the league’s all-time playoff assist leaders list.

His 1,042 assists through 113 games in the playoffs rank ninth all-time.

Rondo, 34, added nine points and two rebounds in addition to eight assists in 30 minutes off the bench as the Lakers fell 114-106 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3, their first loss of the series. He shot 4-of-10 from the field and was 1-of-3 from the line as Los Angeles trailed the entire game and entered the fourth quarter down by 18 points, scoring 31 in the final frame to bring it within eight.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Rondo also had three steals within four minutes and was on the court for six consecutive giveaways for Denver, per Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell. 

His eight helpers on Tuesday night followed up the nine he posted in both of the Lakers’ first games against Denver. Facing Houston in the Western Conference Semifinals, Rondo posted 35 assists through five games.

Rondo wasn’t the only Laker to make history during Game 3. LeBron James, appearing in the 252nd playoff game of his career, passed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan for the second-most in league history, and Danny Green entered the top 15 in all-time playoff three-pointers.

Rondo needs seven more assists to pass Scottie Pippen and move into eighth all-time. Magic Johnson is the overall leader with 2,346 playoff assists. Should the Lakers close out the series with Denver and move on to the NBA Finals, Rondo could move up even higher and the list—and possibly clinch his second NBA championship.