Mavericks’ Rondo, Carlisle moving forward after suspension
Dallas Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo took the high road when asked what happened Tuesday night in the moments leading up to his profanity-laced exchange with coach Rick Carlisle.
“You saw what happened,” Rondo said after Friday’s practice. “We just had a little discussion on the court and it led to a suspension.
“I think he had some frustrations with me and vice versa, so communication is definitely the key in this situation. We had a couple of talks since then, and we’re going to move forward.”
With 8:10 remaining in the third quarter Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors, Carlisle tried to get Rondo to run a particular play while Rondo was dribbling up court. Rondo appeared to ignore Carlisle, and the coach rushed onto the court and called timeout.
As Rondo was walking to the bench area, Carlisle shouted something at him. Rondo turned and cursed at Carlisle, and Carlisle hurled those same words back at Rondo.
Multiple sources said Rondo and Carlisle continued their dust-up in the locker room after the game. The Mavericks suspended Rondo on Wednesday for one game without pay.
A nine-year veteran, Rondo sat out Wednesday night’s game in Atlanta. But Carlisle said he’ll be back in the starting lineup at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when the Mavericks (39-21) host the Brooklyn Nets (23-32) at American Airlines Center.
Rondo, known to be a headstrong player who speaks his mind, said he doesn’t know if his blowups with Carlisle will galvanize the Mavericks. But he admitted he has been down this road before, having more than his share of run-ins with then-Boston coach Doc Rivers when the two were with the Celtics.
“I’ve been in this situation before,” Rondo said. “Everyone’s personality is different, the other person, the other DNA is different.
“I don’t think this is a problem at all. We lost a game [to Atlanta], which hurt us seeding-wise, but we have to continue to move forward.”
The Mavericks would like for this story to disappear from the front pages and from discussions on sports talk shows. But in the world of social media, that’s easier said than done.
“Everything’s been back to normal,” Carlisle said. “I know that you guys need to ask [Rondo] a couple of questions, but I’m done talking about it, and our other players are done talking about it. It’s over. Certainly in NBA time its light-years ago.”
Rondo said he knows communication is vital in helping pursue another avenue to solve a situation other than publicly disrespecting his coach again.
“I think I’ve just got built-up frustrations,” Rondo said. “I take a lot of the blame for what I’ve been doing on the court, but this is a little frustrating.
“The most important thing is communication with Coach. I’ve talked to a lot of other coaches, I’ve talked to a lot of staff members. I spoke with pretty much everyone in the organization, and everyone’s on the same page.”
Forward Dirk Nowitzki acknowledged that after Rondo’s suspension the Mavericks are ready to put this ugly chapter of their season behind them.
“I think whatever needs to be worked out is between [Carlisle and Rondo], and we’re looking forward to finishing the season strong,” Nowitzki said. “Like I said after the Atlanta game, that’s only possible if we’re all on the same page and just pulling together.”
Dwain Price, 817-390-7760
Twitter: @dwainprice
This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Mavericks’ Rondo, Carlisle moving forward after suspension."