Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Rajon Rondo still has Celtics' faith

WALTHAM, Mass. -- A few ticks after 2 o'clock, the official start of the Boston Celtics' media day event on Monday, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and Rajon Rondo plopped down at a podium in front of an overflow throng of reporters. Ainge playfully joked to Rondo that he could have at least tucked in his jersey, to which the All-Star point guard cracked back that it was an impossible feat given that his left arm was immobilized by an oversized black sling.

And with that, Rondo calmly -- and often playfully -- attempted to defuse any concerns about the cause of a left hand injury that required surgery on Friday and will sideline him for the start of the 2014-15 season.

Rondo confirmed an ESPN report that he told team officials he slipped in the shower, leading to a fracture. When pressed for specifics, Ainge asked a reporter, "Are you an investigator?" Rondo himself would soon joke, "Am I under investigation?"

Rondo complied, though, and laid out a detailed timeline of events from last week, one that included two trips to local trampoline parks with his kids, along with a humorous aside about his exploits in a Celtics team softball game. ("I made a couple top-10 catches and a one-handed grab, throw-out at first base that was really good; I impressed myself with that," Rondo said.)

It may do little to sway a skeptical public, but Rondo's bosses seem OK with his story. Ainge went so far as to detail how he slipped in a shower in Las Vegas this past summer and ended up staying overnight in a local emergency room while being patched up.

Asked if the team planned to pursue the incident any further, Ainge offered, "No, we're not investigators."

Rondo said he's trying to stay positive in the face of another setback, this after missing much of the past two seasons because of an ACL tear. Both he and Ainge stressed that Rondo is motivated to reestablish himself -- and the Celtics franchise -- among the league's elite.

"A lot of people are doubting me and doubting this team," Rondo said. "I've always enjoyed being the underdog. What people say really doesn't matter to me. I have a lot of expectations for myself. I'm pretty sure I'm the hardest critic on myself, so I'll go out there and do what I do best and play the game."

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