rajon rondo media day.jpg

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) poses during the NBA basketball team media day in Waltham, Mass., Monday, Sept. 30, 2013.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

WALTHAM – Rajon Rondo has gained at least two new friends this offseason: the exercise bike and new Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens.

Rondo understands how the former has helped him during recovery from ACL surgery, but sounds quite a bit fonder of the latter.

“Very humble,” Rondo said of Stevens at Monday's media day at the team facility. “His communication lines have been great with me. Ever since he became the coach and came to my camp, I think the following week or the same week he was hired, we spent about an hour and a half together at my camp in Kentucky. Ever since then, he's been texting me, gave me a couple of books to read, even had some things for me to look up on YouTube. We've had lunch. We've had great communication so far.”

Upon signing with the Celtics in early July, Stevens had a crazy couple of weeks. He held an introductory press conference in Waltham, flew to Orlando for summer league and left for Rondo’s camp to begin forging a relationship with his star point guard. Concerns about how the pair might get along arose quickly after Stevens’ hiring, but the duo seems to have built a mutual respect.

“I think it was important for both of us to get off to a good start, get to know one another," Rondo said. "This is his team, this is my team, so I've been a big supporter of him and he's been a great supporter of me. Coach Stevens is my first new coach. I’ve only played for one coach (Doc Rivers) in my seven-year career. But… I don’t think it will be a very difficult transition. He’s very positive, he’s always been honest with me from Day 1.”

Though Rondo's difficult nature has been discussed plenty in the local media, he said he doesn't pay attention to a lot of that stuff, and was happy Stevens entered their relationship with no preconceived notions.

“Me and Brad have become best friends,” Rondo said, wearing a small smile. “We talk every day, we laugh and joke. We had dinner the other night. I’m going to help him, he’s going to help me. He has my full support, and I told him from Day 1 … I’m 100 percent behind him. Whatever he wants to do, whatever he wants to change, I have an open mind and I’m ready to listen and be accountable for what he wants to do.”

Rondo invited teammates, coaches and team executives to a dinner at his house recently. The point guard said the meal, which was attended by owner Wyc Grousbeck, “a lot of the coaches” and “a couple of the players,” went well, joking that Jared Sullinger ate the most food.

You probably care more about Rondo’s ACL recovery than what his teammates ate for dinner, but he doesn’t know when he’ll return.

“In the 2013-2014 season,” he said vaguely. When pressed for specifics, he continued: “Probably sometime in the winter – maybe the fall.

“I'm able to bike. The bike has become my friend. I just try to do quick sprints, simulate court things. You don't just get on the bike and run. You don't play basketball for 10 minutes straight. Quick sprints, on and off. Maybe 15 seconds on, five seconds off, quick breaks like that.”

During his quest to learn as much as he could about the specifics of ACL surgery, Rondo said he picked the brains of Wes Welker, Tony Allen and Kendrick Perkins. Still, not even thorough research allowed him to find out everything.

"Until you go through this type of injury – a lot of people gave Derrick Rose a lot of heat, this injury isn’t easy,” he said, stressing that he won’t return until his head’s in the right place. “It’s more mental when you come back, and you get around 10-11 months, it’s just feeling confident. You want to feel confident, especially the type of players and competitors we are. Our legs are pretty much everything; we use our speed. (Rose is) very athletic, I’m athletic. And you need that mental aspect to go up and jump and come down without thinking about your leg again. Because the last jump, for myself and him, we’ve come down and torn our ACL. Just being mentally ready – when I get there, I’ll play."

For now, though, Rondo still hasn’t been cleared to scrimmage.

“Still no contact,” he said. “I'm able to get on the court, work on my shot, work on my free throws, working on ball-handling.”

A lot has changed since he last played for the Celtics, before partially tearing his ACL near the end of January. Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have all departed, leaving Rondo the final remaining member of the 2008 championship team.

"What about him?" Rondo replied when first asked about Rivers, but he quickly softened his stance. "Doc was a great coach to play for, he was very hard on me, he helped me become the player I am today, I give him a lot of credit. And now he’s going to LA, so that’s that.”

As for the trade that sent Garnett and Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets, Rondo said it wasn't difficult for him.

"It wasn't difficult at all. I didn't feel anything. I actually landed in LA the night of the draft. I had 45 text messages come through the phone. I thought I was traded," he said. "When Paul and Kevin were traded, I actually talked to both of them, text messaged them, and I talked to them on the phone. It's part of the business. It's not the first teammates that I've been close to who were traded away – Perk, Tony Allen. It's part of the process."

"This is a fresh start for us, a new coach and a new team," said Rondo. "I'm excited about the fresh start. I'm excited every year, each team, but getting back on the court, I just want to compete. I haven't competed in a while and I'm a very competitive player and competitive person. I miss being out on the court with my teammates and having them there."