Does Rajon Rondo Deserve a 2-Game Suspension For This?
A short time before last night’s manhandling at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in Big D, Rajon Rondo and the Celtics learned that he had been suspended for two games for tossing the ball at referee Sean Wright on Sunday night in Detroit.
In that game, Rondo was upset when he felt that he had clearly been fouled by Greg Monroe, but go no call from the officials. That led to him tossing the ball when there was a break in the action. Watch the video here and tell us if you think it was warranted:
I can understand Rondo’s frustration, but I think that the ejection from the game and some kind of suspension is probably warranted. A two-game suspension seems excessive, but I can see where the NBA is coming from. There is really only so much that the League can do to protect their officials from the constant verbal battery they receive every single night, they have to do whatever they can – even if it seems extreme – to protect them beyond verbal abuse. As soon as anything turns physical with a ref, they clearly feel the need to make a statement and send a message to other players.
Does Rajon deserve a two-game suspension for this?
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February 21st, 2012 at 11:10 am
north says:
Yes. Coming from the stand point of a high school coach who’s kids watch the NBA like it feeds them oxygen, he definitely deserves it. Refs don’t get every call right but then again, players don’t get every shot they take either.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:14 am
heckler says:
Yes.
1 game is too minimal. 3 or more is too excessive. 2 game suspension is perfectly reasonable.
You have employees Pat, one doesnt like the assignment from you or whatever, and throws their cell phone into your belly…..what would your response be? (especially if you really do NOT want to fire your employee). lolololol
February 21st, 2012 at 11:16 am
sh!tfaced says:
he should’ve stepped on the ref’s face instead and get a 2-game suspension just the same like k-love did.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:27 am
JDish says:
Well it could go either way if Rhondo really deserved it.
1-He’s throwing the basketball at a ref, which will get you T’d up anytime no matter what.
BUT
2-He’s tick’d off at the ref for some not-so-unusual bad officiating.
Nevertheless the verdict has been given and he’s serving his time.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:28 am
Banny says:
I wouldnt even say Monroe fouled him. Incidental, hard contact.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:30 am
First & Foremost says:
Two games is fair. I can’t see the video at work but it from the picture that would have been a nice pass had the ref caught it. When you are that close you can’t really risk a bounce pass, behind the back would be too fancy, and an overhead pass would be absurd.
Players should just firmly place the ball on the ground where they are and then just walk away. The ball is no longer in their possession, so just leave it there. I’ve yet to see a rule that states, “…players guilty of an infraction signaled against their team by an offical must immediately and gently toss and/or lob the ball underhand that was previously in play to the nearest official standing at the next inbounds junction or face risk of, but not limited to, immediate ejection.”
February 21st, 2012 at 11:33 am
Celts Fan says:
@Banny – Monroe CLEARLY fouled him. Doesn’t excuse that childish ish by Rondo. Does he deserve to be suspended? Yes, of course, and he’s lucky it was only 2 games. We were all guessing around 5-10. Any physical contact with an official with intent behind it CANNOT be tolerated regardless of how understandable his frustration was. Grow up, kid. You’re supposed to be who we build around once KG and Ray are gone; act like it.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:41 am
Banny says:
What was the call? I mean he didnt foul him on his shot, he was going up for a rebound while Rondo was basically already on the floor, its no foul incidental contact thats why it wasn’t called.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:42 am
Banny says:
Rondo was just upset, he had been playing horrible all night.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:48 am
Celts Fan says:
@Banny – dude lands knee-first on Rondo’s head. That’s a foul, period. There’s no arguing that. Just cuz it was after the shot doesn’t mean you can’t call a foul and when someone takes a knee to the head, that whistle’s gotta blow. Again, doesn’t excuse those antics, but that’s unquestionably a call that should be made.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:54 am
Banny says:
I dont think so, if small guys go in the paint be prepared to be banged around when the big fella’s try to grab the boards. These type of hits happen all the time without calls.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:56 am
fans from Taiwan says:
I think Rondo just pass the ball to ref,and the ref missed it,so count a TO on Rondo
February 21st, 2012 at 11:57 am
Celts Fan says:
not knee-first bro. Not saying it’s intentional, but you take a knee to the dome, you’re expecting a whistle. This ain’t a stray elbow catching someone in the shoulder.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:58 am
Banny says:
I think it was a good no call. To each there own.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:59 am
Celts Fan says:
No Banny, in this case it’s not opinion. Knee to the head = foul. You are wrong and frankly, embarrassing yourself.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Banny says:
Lol. Settle down fella, It wasn’t a foul, incidental contact. I don’t embarrass easy through text on a computer screen.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Celts Fan says:
So to be clear, you’re saying that a knee to the head is NOT a foul?
February 21st, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Banny says:
I’m saying that was the right no call. Things happen in the paint. Hard hits and no calls. The paint is a physical part of the game, had he been kneed during the shot attempt or out on the perimeter it would probably be called. But after a shot attempt when your basically already on the ground surrounded by 7 footers its not necessarily a foul when a big guy jumps and hits you by mistake.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:34 pm
beiber newz says:
banny,
if that happened each play down in the paint, would it be wrong then?
if something is a no-call play, then it should be that way consistently. if monroe did that everytime someone went in the paint, it would be bad. i think rondo has a legitimate beef.
2 games is fine but at the same time excessive because on one end it sets the tone for other nba players not to do it, that’s why it was good. but 2 games for tossing a ball at a ref is still excessive because it’s not like he flung it at him. in conclusion “the expressiveness” of the penalty is “good”.
well, this suspension may end up benefiting the knicks in the standings.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:49 pm
len says:
he should probably get more than two games because throwing the ball at a ref must be so satisfactory that you might want to risk that…
February 21st, 2012 at 1:00 pm
shuttles says:
Definitely a foul. Look at it this way, when you knock down a jump shooter after he’s released a shot it’s a foul. This is the exact same thing. If this kinda stuff was incidental contact people could destroy guys as long as they did it after the shot.
Suspension is obviously warranted, though.
February 21st, 2012 at 1:00 pm
dagwaller says:
Definitely.
February 21st, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Chicagorilla says:
without seeing the actual play im gonna say yes he should be suspended.
Too many guys are yelling and complaining at the refs. Guys like Rondo (who aren’t Superstars) who spend half the game yelling at the refs irks the shyt outta me. That entire Botson team does a little too much complaining to the refs. Same goes for Miami (mainly Bron, Wade, Chalmers, Battier) and Kobe (who curses out refs each game).
Just play ball and let your coach worry about the refs.
February 21st, 2012 at 7:55 pm
joe says:
nope the ref shoulda been ready for the ball… ejection was sufficient. if KG can put his hand on an opponent (bill walker} and not get a suspension, then why should rajon get one? these refs are to sensitive these days especially the younger ones, they miss a lot of calls not just some.
February 21st, 2012 at 8:00 pm
ac says:
are you kidding me? rondo gets hacked so often without fouls being called, i would be frustrated too. what if he gets injured again. its already happened, earlier this season with his rist, last year his elbow. look at what happens in the video, a guy lands on his neck and knees him in the face. no foul? bs
February 21st, 2012 at 9:12 pm
ERIC says:
well he screwed himself and won’t be an add on if joe johnson can’t play in the all star game
February 21st, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Qwe says:
Obviously this is because he is black. Austin burton this is what you sound like
February 21st, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Matt says:
Good no call…
February 22nd, 2012 at 12:38 am
Kris says:
He was fouled before the guy even landed on his back. That should have been called in the first place. The fouls in that game were lopsided as hell. He should have tried to contain his frustrations, but I understand being pissed.
February 22nd, 2012 at 1:30 am
control says:
I kind of thought it was funny, probably not a foul, but Rondo’s reaction is typical of his prick/douchebag behavior. This guy is straight out an asshole. Booohoo, I didn’t get a foul, and might have got kneed in the face, *tears and whine*. It’s funny that the ref actually said “get your ass back to the locker room and get some cheese for that whine, douchebag!”
February 22nd, 2012 at 2:47 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ control – this’ll make you real happy. I heard Stern’s gonna make him an all-star
February 22nd, 2012 at 4:46 pm
beiber newz says:
rondo well deserved.