I'll make coffees if they need me to': NBA star takes a shot at fashion career with unpaid internship at GQ magazine

An NBA star took a shot at fashion journalism this summer after accepting an unpaid internship at GQ magazine.
Boston Celtics player Rajon Rondo, 26, spent several weeks at the men's style glossy working in the wardrobe department, attending catwalk shows and keeping an up-to-date trend blog during New York Fashion Week.
The 6ft 1in basketball pro, from Louisville, Kentucky, who claims to own more than 25 pairs of designer jeans, describes that fashion has always been a passion away from the court.

Learning curve: Mr Rondo worked 10am to 6pm shifts, at GQ's Times Square headquarters

While at GQ Mr Rondo would work 10am to 6pm shifts, commuting to the Times Square Condé Nast headquarters, which houses a spread of magazine titles.
His tasks would involve packing up clothes for photo shoots, interviewing designers, attending runway presentations and writing about the latest menswear trends hitting the runway.

 

Before he was due to start his internship Mr Rondo said: 'Anything GQ needs me to do - getting coffee - I’ll do. In my position, I haven’t done things like this in my entire life. It’s fun doing what I do, but it’s nice getting the flipside of that 9 to 5.'
In one blog he wrote about beanie hats, which he deemed the 'must-have accessory to get through the cold weather'.

In action: Rajon Pierre Rondo is a professional basketball point guard with the Boston Celtics

He said; 'Some people call them beanies, skullies, or if you're from the Midwest we call them toboggans. Going to work everyday, I make sure never to leave the house without one.'

Commenting on GQ's latest recruit, senior editor Will Welch told NBC News: 'His work ethic is absolutely amazing.
'He was up for anything, and he's interesting because Rondo's personality is, he sort of always has his game face on.
'He was still the same understated guy, and to me that is sort of a sign of somebody whose style is sort of a little bit more advanced.'

Mr Rondo with Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Russell Westbrook, at the GQ & Nordstrom pop-up store on Fashion's Night Out (left) and strutting his stuff on the red carpet (right)

Describing his motivation for signing up as an unpaid intern, Mr Rondo said: 'I never really had a real job.
'I was actually in the GQ plaza working, packing bags. I actually wrote a blog, too. I just didn’t go in there and half-step it. I actually did some work. I slept pretty good those nights, too.'
He is not the first athlete to pursue his passion for fashion and in 2008 former NHL player Sean Avery interned at Vogue.
Mr Rondo added: 'Next year I may intern, do something different, I just want to keep different parts of life that I probably wasn’t used to be doing. Regardless of how big I got in basketball, I would’ve never met these people. This is a whole different world, the fashion world. I like my options.'