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Report: Rajon Rondo, Mavericks coach Carlisle had ‘emotionally charged dispute’ in locker room

Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat

Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat

NBAE/Getty Images

Rajon Rondo and Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle got into it on the court Tuesday, having a heated public exchange that resulted in Rondo being benched for the remainder of the game.

There was evidently an additional confrontation between player and coach once the contest was finished.

From Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com:

Rondo and Carlisle had another emotionally charged dispute in the locker room after the game, sources told ESPNDallas.com, and the Mavs subsequently announced Rondo’s suspension a little more than two hours before Wednesday’s tipoff. ...

Team sources told ESPNDallas.com that friction had been building between Carlisle and Rondo over play-calling responsibilities, the majority of which the coach has handled. Former Mavs point guard Jason Kidd had similar frustrations during his first season playing with Carlisle, although it never resulted in a public outburst.


The Mavericks have been worse offensively since trading for Rondo this season, and since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer -- and one who will command a high-dollar, multi-year deal -- this situation will be an interesting one to monitor as the season progresses.

Dallas suspended Rondo one game for his actions.