One of the weirder moments of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble occurred on Saturday evening during Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. While the Lakers came out on top and sent the Rockets home en route to their first Western Conference Finals berth since 2010, the first person to leave the arena was there on behalf of the purple and gold.
Rajon Rondo’s brother, William, jawed with Rockets guard Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter. Westbrook had to be held back by an official, while Rondo was escorted out by arena officials. After the game, the two players told the media what went down, with Westbrook saying that Rondo was chirping at him, which he believes led to Rondo’s brother getting in on the act.
Russell Westbrook on altercation with Rajon Rondo’s brother “People at the game supposed to shut your mouth and watch the game, I guess since Rondo was talking shit and he decided to hop in too, he started talking crazy and I don’t play that” https://t.co/oIHDd4kjLx
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) September 13, 2020
Rondo, as you might be surprised to learn, had a different read on things. As he explained, both to the media and to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, William called Westbrook “trash,” then waved at him in a similar manner to how Damian Lillard waved after he bounced Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder from the playoffs last year.
Lakers guard Rajon Rondo says his brother, William, called Russell Westbrook “trash” and nothing more and gave him the “Damian Lillard” wave when the Rockets star asked what he said. Rondo said his bother didn’t say anything more and he is hopeful there will be no discipline.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 13, 2020
“He didn’t say anything crazy, raise his voice and cuss (Russ). He called the man ‘Trash.’ As players we get away with manipulating the game and manipulating the referees as if we are being attacked. I’ve done it in the past,” #Lakers @RajonRondo to @TheUndefeated on his brother.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 13, 2020
Additionally, Rondo went on to say that he wants security to ask those around his brother about what happened.
Rajon Rondo added to @TheUndefeated that while he is bias with his brother in question, he asks that NBA security talk to the fans sitting nearby about what happened and that the only reason why his brother was heard was because it’s a quieter bubble environment.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 13, 2020
Players going back-and-forth with fans is, obviously, a pretty common thing, but this is a new one for the Bubble, which has been careful to make sure that tensions don’t boil over at a time when players are usually more on edge than usual due to the stakes of the postseason.
