Rajon Rondo had a night to forget on Tuesday, as his Dallas Mavericks dug themselves into a 0-2 series hole against the Houston Rockets. After getting into foul trouble early, Rondo ended up scoring just four points in 10 minutes of play. He had no interest in discussing his poor performance after the game.
Rather than field questions about why he picked up a technical foul or hardly played at all, Rondo ignored the 20-plus reporters that were huddled around his locker, got dressed, popped in his headphones and left.
According to ESPN.com, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle had no intention of answering questions on his point guard’s behalf.
“You can ask him that question,” Carlisle said. “All I know … is that we need everybody at their competitive best. This isn’t about one guy who did or didn’t play.”
But there wasn’t an opportunity to question Rondo. He walked around 20 to 30 reporters in the locker room and headed for the door as one shouted, “You have to talk to us, Rajon!” Rondo looked back, scoffed and kept walking. Amar’e Stoudemire said, “He ain’t got to talk to y’all.”
Rondo certainly can’t be forced to speak with the media, but he will likely be fined for the snub. SB Nation shared a clip that shows him arrogantly walking away from reporters:
Mavs guard Devin Harris missed the game with an injured toe, so the team really needed Rondo to be at his best. Instead, he displayed the same type of attitude that resulted in a public shouting match with Carlisle earlier this season. As a result, the Rockets have taken control of the series.
