Rajon Rondo believes his first and only season with the Sacramento Kings was one of the most challenging of his career.
The 30-year-old soon-to-be free agent opened up about the Kings' season, one in which they saw the firing of head coach George Karl after a 33-49 finish.
"There were too many distractions on and off the court," Rondo told ESPN's The Jump on Monday. "The organization as a whole, I don't think was together completely. I think as a team you have to want the best for the next man besides you and that wasn't the case with the Sacramento Kings."
Karl acknowledged after his firing that the Kings' locker room was full of tension, and that the team lacked chemistry. The veteran coach claimed that a trust broke down between the coaching staff and their stars Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rudy Gay.
Rondo agreed there was no shortage of stress in a fractured locker room.
"Too much tension," Rondo said. "I've never witnessed or experienced a thing like that in my 10-year career."
That tension between the organization and Cousins has been a theme in recent years, as the star center has appeared disgruntled, and constantly mentioned in trade rumors.
General manager Vlade Divac said last month that the Kings have no plans to trade Cousins, and Rondo believes if Cousins is to succeed in Sacramento, he needs to find a way to come together with the team.
"He's one of the guys that's very selfish," Rondo said. "He has to find other ways to get it done. He's going to continue to grow and learn. I was just glad I was able to be in his life and have a little bit of influence and help him a little bit this year."
