Rajon Rondo kicks camera pic.twitter.com/tnE4JnfP1g
— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) December 24, 2015
Rajon Rondo – who badly needs to repair his reputation after using an anti-gay slur in a tirade against a referee and initially failing to adequately apologize – did himself no favors tonight.
DeMarcus Cousins and Ben McLemore got hurt on the same defensive play against the Pacers. While team personnel attended to Cousins and McLemore – who both stayed in the game – Rondo kicked a camera behind the baseline.
The NBA fined Grizzlies guard Tony Allen $15,000 for slapping a camera last season. Expect Rondo to receive a similar penalty.
Networks pay a lot of money to televise NBA games. The league is, rightfully, protective of its media partners and their employees.
Beyond the financial implications, this is just the wrong way to act. A cameraman can get hurt when the heavy equipment he’s holding to his face suddenly moves.
I understand Rondo’s desire to shield his teammates, who were clearly in agony. He wanted to give them a little privacy. But he could have simply stood in front of the camera, a tactic players use all the time.