Jared Sullinger knew he was in good company when he heard his name called with the 21st pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Six years earlier, a talented point guard who went on to win a championship and earn three All-Star nods by the time Sullinger entered the league was also selected at the same spot.
Like Sullinger, this player was 20 years old and had left college after his sophomore season. And like Sullinger, he ended up a Boston Celtic by the end of draft night.
Rajon Rondo has inspired Sullinger since the day he joined the NBA last summer. He appreciated the way Rondo (whom the Celtics acquired from the Phoenix Suns) played beyond his draft pick early in his career, took advantage of opportunities for playing time, and established himself as an impact player.
"Number nine came in the same draft position as me," Sullinger told CSNNE.com. "He didn't play a lot and all of a sudden, he took the NBA by storm."
Just like Rondo did, Sullinger is already proving to be one of the steals of last year's draft. He is averaging 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game on a veteran team where minutes are traditionally limited for rookies. He has started five games, including Sunday's matchup against the defending champion Miami Heat in which he posted seven points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists while committing just one foul in 22 minutes. The 6-9 power forward has also recorded four double-doubles and ranks fourth in boards among all first-year players.
In spite of his early season contributions, Sullinger was not named to the rookie squad for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend. He took the news in stride.
Boston Celtics
"I don't care," he said. "It doesn't faze me. It doesn't make me or break me."
Rondo has already spent time this season talking to Sullinger about the value of seeing the bigger picture. He was left off the 2009 All-Star Team, which many considered to be a snub, and went on to earn four consecutive All-Star selections (including a starting spot this season).
Even though Rondo will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, Sullinger will continue to look to him as an example of what can be achieved when staying zoned in on larger goals.
"He kind of keeps me focused, tells me short term goals are not important in the long term," said Sullinger. "He didn't play a lot, was in the lineup, out the lineup, played a lot, played none. Now look at him. You can't take him out the lineup unless you have a season-ending injury like he did."