This season the talk about Rajon Rondo has been mostly positive as he has played well on the court and there hasn't been any news on him off the court; that is until recently. Rondo was involved in a controversy where he shouted anti-gay slurs at a referee, Bill Kennedy, who is actually gay and has been suspended for one game due to this. This topic has been discussed a lot over the past few days but now it is being brought back to basketball terms and how it may affect Rondo's free agency. It is being reported that some teams might stay away from Rondo this offseason now, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
Rondo was a free agent last summer but he had trouble finding suitors because he was coming off a down season and his reputation took a major hit as he is considered a player that is hard to coach and has a tough personality to deal with. Rondo ended up settling for a one year deal worth $9.5 million with the Sacramento Kings and his hope was that he would have a great season and re-build his reputation.
Rondo was off to a good start in reaching that goal as he seems to be back to All-Star form and there were even some people saying he might be able to get a max contract next offseason but now he is starting to scare people away once again. Not only did Rondo use the anti-gay slur but many people perceived his apology, which he tweeted out, as insincere and he also failed to apologize to Kennedy directly, at least publicly.
"My actions during the game were out of frustration and emotion, period! They absolutely do not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. I did not mean to offend or disrespect anyone," Rondo tweeted.
Rondo's latest transgression has many wondering what might happen to him when he hits free agency again as he is a player looking to rehab his image and yet he seems to be going backwards. One executive said that it "depends on how well he plays" when asked when teams might start passing on him. Last offseason teams already were passing on the four-time All-Star and it seems like that might be the case again after this season despite the fact that he is having a resurgent year.
DeMarcus Cousins has made it clear that he wants Rondo back in Sacramento next season but the Kings were none too happy about this incident as both owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac made statements condemning Rondo's actions. Rondo is putting together an All-Star type of season through 24 games but this most recent incident is a reminder of his shortcomings and his free agency this upcoming summer will be quite interesting to watch.
