What I don't understand: Why has Rondo overtaken Pierce in terms of popularity?

[rasta1]

Since Paul has been in the league, he's been the often ignored star player in Boston, however with Rondo he has catapulted to superstar level in the league in terms of marketability. I've seen more commercials with Rondo than I have with Pierce. He's selling more jerseys and whatnot.

What I don't understand is how Rondo became so popular despite not being quite as good as Pierce has been for the celtics, even in the early goings?

What makes Rondo so marketable?

[Lucky17]

To quote the Bard: old and busted vs. new hotness.

[CelticConcourse]

Rondo leads the league in assists, leads the league in triple doubles, led the league in steals, plays a more competitive position, is younger, has a cooler name, has a snarkier attitude, and plays a fun game.

(if you disagree with this post, it's not me!)

[ScottHow]

It's hard to market mid range jumpers and great footwork

[BballTim]

Since Paul has been in the league, he's been the often ignored star player in Boston, however with Rondo he has catapulted to superstar level in the league in terms of marketability. I've seen more commercials with Rondo than I have with Pierce. He's selling more jerseys and whatnot.

What I don't understand is how Rondo became so popular despite not being quite as good as Pierce has been for the celtics, even in the early goings?

What makes Rondo so marketable?

  Pierce is solid, Rondo's flashy.

[Sketch5]

Rondo with his fast break bounce passes, behind the back fakes, on the spot behind the back passes is fun and exciting to watch, even the casual fan loves to see.

Peirce plays a slow break your man down with footwork kind of game. Its not exciting to just any one. You show takes to a new fan of both of them they will lean towards Rondo.

Now you take that fan 10 years later and they may lean towards Peirce because they understand what he does with the tools he has is great.

[LooseCannon]

Why do some people have that silly expectation that popularity and level of performance should be completely correlated?

[PhoSita]

Why has Kyrie Irving overtaken Tim Duncan in terms of popularity?

[Boris Badenov]

Since Paul has been in the league, he's been the often ignored star player in Boston, however with Rondo he has catapulted to superstar level in the league in terms of marketability. I've seen more commercials with Rondo than I have with Pierce. He's selling more jerseys and whatnot.

What I don't understand is how Rondo became so popular despite not being quite as good as Pierce has been for the celtics, even in the early goings?

What makes Rondo so marketable?

I think you might be overstating the difference. I'll focus on jersey sales.

This year, for example, Rondo was 8th but Paul was a quite respectable 15th.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/04/09/top-selling-nba-jerseys-team-merchanside/2066321/

In previous years the difference has been bigger or smaller - Rondo was 3rd in 2010-2011, for example. But if you go back to the 2008-2010 period KG and Pierce were in the top 10, with KG often being top 3 and Pierce being close to top 5, with Rondo much lower.

So, I think you could say that measured this one way, their popularity has tracked performance pretty closely.

It is odd, though, that Rondo has been higher than players like Durant.

And I just looked through several lists going back to the mid-2000s, and Timmy Duncan is absolutely nowhere to be found on any list, while guys like Nate Robinson will sneak into the top 10 from time to time.

So, the puzzle you talk about does exist - I wouldn't say that Rondo vs. Pierce is the biggest, though.

[syfy9]

Why has Kyrie Irving overtaken Tim Duncan in terms of popularity?

One is really really really really really really old -

and the other is Tim Duncan.


Don't reach, young blood!

[ManUp]

Winning and national exposure. Pierce only had 2 or 3 winning seasons before the big 3. Rondo has only had 1 real losing season. He's gotten plenty of chances to show his stuff on nationally televised games and in deep play-off runs. I consider young or prime Pierce just as entertaining if not more than Rondo.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Latter Day Celtics fans like myself?

[scaryjerry]

hmmm for years pierce was marketed and still has been to some degree..rondo earned every bit he has gotten

[Evantime34]

It's funny because Rondo is the more popular player around the league, but has always had some vocal detractors. Then when he went down with the ACL tear and the team started winning those voices grew.

On all the Celtics message boards I frequent there is a lot of anti Rondo talk, which I don't remember ever happening to Pierce to the same extent.

[D.o.s.]

It's funny because Rondo is the more popular player around the league, but has always had some vocal detractors. Then when he went down with the ACL tear and the team started winning those voices grew.

On all the Celtics message boards I frequent there is a lot of anti Rondo talk, which I don't remember ever happening to Pierce to the same extent.

Probably because there were very few Celtics message boards from ten to fifteen years go... you know, when Pierce was having his 'problem child' phase.