9 years a Celtic, Rajon Rondo thanks Boston fans after being traded

For the first time in his career, Rajon Rondo will be playing for a team that is not the Boston Celtics. 

The Celtics traded for Rondo on draft night in 2006 and he's worn the green and white ever since, a run of eight-plus seasons that's included four Eastern Conference All-Star berths, four All-NBA Defensive Team nods, an All-NBA third team selection, two NBA assist titles, 92 playoff games, two trips to the NBA Finals and one NBA championship. 

As he prepares to embark on a new journey with the Dallas Mavericks, Rondo took to Twitter to let the fans in Boston know what his years there have meant to him:

My time in Boston has meant so much. I've grown up with this city both as a basketball player and person. The love I have for the most loyal and supportive fans in the league is unmatched. My teammates have shown nothing but heart the last couple of seasons. They are some of the hardest working guys I have played with and I wish them the best. I've experienced my most successful and challenging years w/ the Celtics, fans and city. The opportunity to play with guys like Dirk, Monta, Tyson and the young talent of Chandler is exciting. I look forward to building something special in Dallas. 

Rondo's relationship with Celtics fans may not have always been smooth, and they may never have warmed to him the way they did to his championship teammates Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, but there's no doubting Rondo is one of the best point guards in franchise history: a unique talent with flash, swagger and a flair for big moments.  

Trading him may have been a long time coming for the Celtics, but that doesn't mean it won't sting.