Rajon Rondo: At times, Doc—there’s no secret—Doc pissed me off. I was frustrated with him a lot. And Sam was that guy who bridged the gap, along with T [Tyronn Lue] years later. Those were the guys that really helped. They helped the relationship—helped me understand, “Okay, this is what Doc is thinking,” and then they would go tell him, “This is how Rondo is thinking.” It helped a lot. And like I said, Sam was vital and pivotal during those years I was able to play with him. You know, he’s a two-time champ—maybe three. I think he won one before in Houston. But having a guy like that in the locker room, and then being able to go to the coaching staff and translate what’s best for the team and for us as individuals—that’s huge.