Three days after participating in an on-court altercation between the Lakers and Rockets, and two days after being suspended for his involvement in that fight, Rajon Rondo told ESPN on Tuesday that he didn’t intentionally spit on Chris Paul, and offered some harsh criticism of the Houston point guard.
“I had a mouthpiece in my mouth and I exasperated because I was about to tell him to ‘Get the [expletive] out of here,'” Rondo said. “Look at my body language [in the video]. My hands on my hips. I turn away for a second. Look at Eric [Gordon] and Melo [Carmelo Anthony] in the video. If they saw me spit, they would have turned their face up or something. They had no reaction.”
Rondo, who was displeased that he received a longer suspension than Paul, bemoaned the fact that both the NBA and the media – in his view – sided with CP3’s account of what happened on Saturday. League sources tell ESPN that Rondo claimed he was provoked into throwing a punch at Paul after the Rockets guard poked a finger into his face and left a scratch under his eye.
Arguing that Paul’s actions to “provoke the situation” were overlooked, Rondo suggested that the media-created images of the two point guards contributed to that portrayal of the incident.
“Everyone wants to believe Chris Paul is a good guy. They don’t know he’s a horrible teammate,” Rondo said. “They don’t know how he treats people. Look at what he did last year when he was in L.A.; trying to get to the Clippers locker room. They don’t want to believe he’s capable of taunting and igniting an incident.”
While Rondo has never played on the same team as Paul, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard claims that CP3 isn’t a perfect teammate. During the final years of the Lob City era in Los Angeles, there were rumors that Paul rubbed teammates like Blake Griffin the wrong way and often didn’t see eye-to-eye with head coach Doc Rivers.
The Rockets and Lakers will meet again on December 13 in Houston.
I don’t know why, but for me, it seems easier to trust the word of someone who everyone likes and trusts, over someone who has been identified as a problem by both coaches and players, to the point that he’s been cut or traded several times for that reason alone.
I’m actually not sure which player is who in your statements.
I suspect you believe Paul over Rondo, but honestly I can’t tell.
There’s likely some truth to both accounts, but both players are clearly at fault for acting like children.
The only team that didn’t want Chris Paul was the clippers and that is because he does not like doc rivers. They did not get along because he felt Austin was given to many chances when other players would have been better and he also didn’t like when doc turned down a package sent around rivers for melo. The hornets wanted him but he wanted to leave.
The Hornets wanted him because he generated lots of revenue for a small market. Even back then, there were plenty of rumors about Paul being an awful teammate.
Rondo has never been cut. He was traded once. You seem like you really know what you’re talking about.
Rondo was technically cut by the Bulls, but I’d say that was more about his contract situation and the Bulls’ focus on rebuilding than how they actually felt about him as a player/person.
He was waived over the summer and yeah, a lot of the Bulls said that he was one of the best teammates they ever had.
Rondo was cut on June 30th 2017, after he was left to walk by both the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, and the Sacramento Kings in 2016. He’s been on 5 teams in 5 years. you really don’t seem to know what you’re talking about.
Do you know what the words “cut” “traded” and “several” mean?
He has played 14 years. He was cut once. Traded once.
Glen davis (who played with both) came out and agreed with rondo soooooo no not everyone likes cp3 outside the banna boat crew
Glen davis (who played with both) came out and agreed with rondo soooooo no not everyone likes cp3 outside the banna boat crew
They both should have gotten way more games – same with everyone else involved.
Maybe both of them are flawed human beings that need to grow up. I don’t know why people always treat these situations like dichotomies. There doesn’t always have to be a good guy.
Yes! This comment x100!
When grown men playing a game get into a fight, there isn’t any room for a good guy vs bad guy situation.
Grown men solve our problems like grown men, not like petulant children throwing hissy fits.
In order to act like a grown man, you need to be one or know what one looks like. These guys are spoiled and catered to from the time they show they have talent. Rondo is not the only one at fault in this incident.
It amazes me that someone that bothers to be on a basketball website will say something like “Rondo has been cut or traded several times because of his attitude” when Rondo has never been but, and has only been traded once. Ignorance or trolling? hard to tell.
The only time rondo was a problem was when he was with Dallas & that is because he didn’t want to be there. Other than that all his teammates have said he was a good guy.
There is actual video evidence of him spitting on Chris Paul. Man, Rondo is completely psycho. I remember when he was on the Mavs in the playoffs a couple years ago and the Mavs were like, hey man, just don’t bother coming to the games anymore. We effing don’t want you around this team. And that was during the playoffs before the Mavs were even eliminated. Rondo is a punk!!
Like they said, after the game LeBron, Carmelo, CP3 and his wife waited outside together for their vehicles. When the fight happened, LeBron grabbed CP3 and took him to the sidelines with his arm around him. Sure CP3 is a bad guy. He’s the union president, LeBron is his vice. On that note, their other vice president, C.J. McCollum went 5-25 (1-9 from 3) in a loss to the Wizards
Never liked chris paul and i didnt think i was in the minority on that. Hes a punk
Calling CP3 a punk is an insult to real punks!
there’s a reason no one followed lebron to cleveland (twice) or los angelas
So Miami never happened? Or does it just fall outside your narrative?
pat reilly built the heat – ray allen didn’t return bc lbj – kyrie Erving demanded out bc lbj – etc
Several players followed Lebron to Cleveland, indeed he was criticized for it. James Jones is one and he is already in line to be the GM of the Suns. Zydrunas Ilgauskas followed him to Miami. Who else would Pelinka even want from Cleveland?
If you’re talking about attracting from a small number of max-quality stars from elsewhere, that is rare. That is the reason.
How hard is it for NBA players to act like adults? There’s less whining when a kindergarten teacher cancels an ice cream party.
Rondo is a punk like Ingram. He got the suspension he deserved.
I always despised Rondo when he was on the Celtics, but when he came to the Bulls, he seemed to be a really mature dude, and he was great for the locker room.
All the “kids” looked up to him, and he caused absolutely no problems.
And all I know is this, if someone puts their finger on my forehead, like Paul did, they’re gonna get socked in the face.
I completely side with Rondo. Instigation is worse than reaction. If you don’t want to get hit, don’t do that to another man.
The league is protecting a star, and throwing an aging veteran to the wolves.