The Chicago Bulls have suspended Rajon Rondo for Monday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, and those who have followed Rondo’s career are not surprised by the reason.
According to several reports, Rondo got into a heated argument with an assistant coach both during and after his team’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Chris Kuc and K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune provided more details of the spat, and it turns out Rondo may have caused things to escalate by throwing a towel at the coach.
Rondo had an emotional exchange with associate head coach Jim Boylen during and after Saturday’s loss to the Mavericks, according to a source. One source said Rondo threw a towel in the direction of Boylen during the game, although that couldn’t be confirmed by a second source.
The report also states that Rondo quickly apologized to the team and met with head coach Fred Hoiberg to discuss the incident on Sunday. He then attended a holiday party with some teammates and members of the organization, so it sounds like there are no hard feelings.
When asked about the incident after Monday’s shootaround, Jimmy Butler came to Rondo’s defense.
“I think this is just another bump in the road,” Butler said. “He’s a phenomenal damn teammate and I back him on everything. These things happen and when things happen you handle it the way you’re supposed to handle it. I think we all love Rondo. I know I do. He’s been a great mentor to me, he’s made me a much better basketball player.”
Rondo has a history of disagreeing with coaches, and most people immediately thought of all the issues he had with his last coach when hearing that the point guard has been suspended. Perhaps the most recent incident was nothing serious, but it will not help Rondo’s reputation as a player who is difficult to coach.
