Danny Ainge said that Rajon Rondo has established his status as the Boston Celtics' best player speaking at a charity golf tournament, as Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com reported:

Ainge on Rondo: "He proved he's the best player on the team."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) September 25, 2012

Saying that Rondo is the team's best player is no surprise to anybody. The 6-foot-1 point guard recorded a career-high 11.7 assists last season to go alongside 11.9 points and 1.8 steals, and is a constant threat for triple-doubles. Rondo's star status wasn't as obvious a few years ago. Celtics fans probably remember when the team featured the Big Three, with Rondo an afterthought as the team won the 2008 NBA Championship. Then they were the Big Four, with Rondo acknowledged as an elite player league-wide. Now, Rondo is the one running the show: although his point totals haven't increased, its clear the 26-year-old is in charge with a still-effective, but aging pairing of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in the background.

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