Rajon Rondo snaps at TNT cameraman
I don’t want to condone what Rondo did, but let’s recap: Rondo’s team just lost Game 5 by one point, giving the Atlanta Hawks life in the series. On the last play of the game, with a chance to win, Rondo had an isolation in the corner against Al Horford, who quite recently missed 58 straight games with a torn pectoral muscle. Rather than accelerate past Horford and become the hero, Rondo inadvertently lost the ball and thus the game.
While he was waiting for his press conference to discuss the loss — and his part in it (remember, Rondo also didn’t wake up in this one until late in the fourth quarter) — Rondo stood with his family outside the media room, probably just wanting a quiet moment. A cameraman, likely just following orders from his boss (read: none of this was the cameraman’s fault), wanted to get footage of Rondo speaking with his family. The footage didn’t seem entirely necessary since nothing at all was happening. Rondo had apparently already asked the cameraman to stop, preferably with less aggression and more “please.”
Again, I’m not saying Rondo should have reacted this way. The cameraman was just doing his job. Even if Rondo wanted him to stop, he could have (and should have) been a hell of a lot nicer. But when somebody screws up during a nationally-televised game and kicks a potential series-clincher away, I assume one of the last things he wants is to have a calm moment with his family recorded for the world to see. After every defeat, these players have 30 microphones shoved in their faces and are asked to explain why they lost. It’s the price of fame and they’re rewarded quite handsomely for playing a game, I know. I get that. But sometimes, especially after committing a turnover that effectively lost Boston the game and its first chance to move onto round two, being so followed by the media sucks.
P.S. — I’m not saying Rondo’s jacket was horrible, but if Craig Sager saw it in his closet he would light a match and burn it to the ground.
Related posts:
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- Paul Pierce surprised Delonte West didn’t return, Rajon Rondo believes Celtics miss West
- Rajon Rondo no basketball historian
- Rajon Rondo turns cell phone off for entire playoffs
- Doc Rivers supports Rajon Rondo, strongly believes Rondo with Boston Celtics for the long haul
Celtics Blog | Jay King | May 9, 2012
This is where you cross the line of responsible sports reporter and claim the title of “Media Parasite”. You don’t go against Rajon Rondo’s wishes and video tape him with his family sharing a private moment. That’s borderline illegal. He didn’t want to do an interview. So what? Why is it that people think that athletes owe it to us to be an open book 24/7? They get paid to play the game productively, not give 10,000 interviews to people who more than likely will do nothing but smear their name anyway. I completely support Rondo on this. I can’t stand when reporters invade the privacy of athletes. Rondo knows that more than half of the reporters are parasites that want to get their own careers going to the athletes detriment and he acts accordingly. Eff em.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Really? Did this happen in a private space, or anything remotely like a private space? NOOOOO. And you know damn well it didn’t. Listen, pal, since when did Rajon Rondo become Dictator of the World? Well? Do you really want the subjects of journalism to be able to dictate to journos? I have no doubt that the cameraman was being a jerk, but so effing WHAT!!!!!!! When did Rajon Rondo become King of the World?
He shoulda just ignored it, and you know this. Don’t defend Rondo doing Wrong. Just don’t do that. I love Rondo as much as anyone, and I’m telling him, and I’m telling you that this was wrong. He needs to get his temper under control, before he slugs someone, and sees his whole world crumble around him.
Understand, if this kid had slugged that cameraman, as he seemed to be on the verge of doing, he could have wrecked his hand, he could have been charged with assault, he may have badly hurt or even killed another human being, and he may have faced a lawsuit and possibly the end of his career.
You aren’t doing Rondo any favors.
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I agree. RR wasn’t out of line. If asked politely, as apparently he was, the cameraman should have stopped filming. I would have taken his camera and smashed it, but that’s just me. Polite first, then end it if necessary. Go Cs…RR is going to have 20+ assists in Gm 6!
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Wow. I just have to say that I find it horrifying that so many people are defending Rondo on this. Virtually no one defended the ref bump, which was far far far more defensible. That ref has got to be, at best, one of the worst refs in the league if not ever. Other teams since have had problems with him too. Also, the incident happened in the physically hot context of a sports competition, where there is a far wider latitude for physical contact.
What Rondo did to the cameraman was attempt to intimidate someone who was not part of the physical contest. This is much more like trying to intimidate someone on the street. And the person in question had done nothing, so far as we can tell, other than not do something that Rondo asked or told him to do.
My God, do you people not get it that Rondo has no right to tell other people what to do, and not to do? Nor can journalists do their job properly if they are forced to follow the instructions of those they are covering, can they? For God’s sake, I despise journalists more than most people do, because I think most of them are fakers, and probably this cameraman is a faker, but the principle at stake here, from a journalism perspective, is that the subject of a journalist’s attention does not get to boss the journalist around, do they? If they do, then the journalist becomes completely useless, right?
And too, if Rondo had actually hit the guy, as it looked like he might, the results could have been very bad for everyone involved. Physical confrontation is no joke, people, and a professional athlete, even a relatively small one, is way stronger than most folks are. Rondo could wreck his career and life with this kind of behavior, were he to carry it further. Think about how badly Artest hurt Harden with an elbow, Harden being a guy roughly similar to him in terms of size and power.
And also, if you all think privacy is so important – and I agree that it is – WHY DON’T YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS NOW EVERYWHERE IN SOCIETY? You do know that there are visible and non-visible cameras watching you everywhere you go, right? Why are you sooooo concerned about the guy with the camera, and not about those surveillance systems that are increasingly ubiquitous?
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I feel that the asking politely was the right thing to do. It’s like the f’in paparazzi always lurking. And who’s to say RR was going to hit the guy? Maybe he is smart enough to just grab the camera or push it away. Not all confrontations have punches being thrown. And while we all know cameras are everywhere, for our protection, they are not shooting our personal moments for ‘journalistic’ use or gain. RR asked politely and the cameraman should have stopped filming. What if the situation was reversed? How would the cameraman feel if someone was filming him during a ‘family’ moment? Got to side with RR always. Just my opinion and not necessarily the correct one. Go Cs…
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F–k TNT. When Rondo the great tells you to step the f–k off, STEP THE F–K OFF.
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He was out of line. Plain and simple! He is a professional athlete you fools! He is in the spotlight, this is something you’re made very aware of when you go pro. Their lives are broadcast-ed for the world to see. I don’t care if you lose a game, its an entertainment to the world, you’re paid MILLIONS of dollars for everyone to watch you. Get over it Rondo. You have ZERO worth after you chest bumped a referee. Classless act!
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Stop your bitchin. Rondo’s a champ for bumping a referee. If it was Kobe Bryant or Ron Artest would you complain about it? Rondo and Kobe for that matter have the right to ask reporters and cameramen to respect their privacy. Yes, they are professional athletes but the TV networks do not own them. It’s obvious, you are either a TNT employee, an NBA ref or another Laker cheerleader. Now get over that.
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