Whys is Rondo known as the fight starter?

[Mizzy21390]

Guys, I don't understand. I've read many posts, different blogs, websites, etc.. but for some reason, Rondo is known as a fight starter or the bad guy who is just so extremely annoying or the little punk...

Can anyone give me some evidence or reasoning how this came about? Maybe I'm just oblivious or something, because it seems like a lot of people feel this way. But I personally don't see how... I'm not being biased or anything because I'm a fan. I'm just curious as to where this is coming from.

He doesn't lose his temper like that. When I do see him lose it, its so rare, that I'm always shocked to see it displayed. I don't see him arguing for fouls or a non call every time, nor do I see him starting fights and arguments with opponents..

Am I missing something when I watch these games? Where is this little fight starting punk that everyone seems to see???

[guava_wrench]

If people think that, it must be due to the Bulls series last year where he threw Hinrich into the scorers table. I can't think of anything else. There was the foul on Brad Miller, but that was a basketball play (though it may have fit the definition of a flagrant).

[Bahku]

Unfortunately, fans of our opponents and their respective cities, will use any kind of motivation they can find to bash the Celtics, especially if we're a threat. You didn't hear much of this stuff over the last couple of years, because it wasn't widely known until recently just how good, and in turn how dangerous, Rondo really is. He has really come into his own this season, and has accepted and applied his leadership role on the floor, and is attracting more serious attention than ever before.

The better the player on an opponent's team, the more of a threat they are, and the more bashing they're going to attract. It's what fans do, and we ourselves are subject to the same kind of thing ... it's just part of being human, really, (I must admit, I love to hate guys like Kobe and LeBron). If someone's not a threat, why would anyone bother to bash them or invent these negative stories about them? Conversely, the bigger the star, the more animosity, (and adoration), they draw.

Is it fair? No, probably not ... but it's the way of the world, and a reality that isn't about to change much anytime soon. However, I myself see this as a very positive thing, because if a player starts attracting the kind of negative comments and stories that Rage is now, you can bet it's because the rest of the world has begun to see just what an amazing talent he really is, and how much of a threat he is to their team's ability to beat us. (TP)

[Steve Weinman]

However, I myself see this as a very positive thing, because if a player starts attracting the kind of negative comments and stories that Rage is now, you can bet it's because the rest of the world has begun to see just what an amazing talent he really is, and how much of a threat he is to their team's ability to beat us.

I wouldn't doubt that the rest of the world is beginning to see Rondo's talents, which are diverse and immense.

But I'm guessing that - as guava alluded to above - they also saw his shot to Brad Miller's face last year in Game 5 against Chicago (at least a debatable course of action) and more egregiously, his role in the scorer's table incident with Kirk Hinrich in Game 6.

-sw

[Bahku]

However, I myself see this as a very positive thing, because if a player starts attracting the kind of negative comments and stories that Rage is now, you can bet it's because the rest of the world has begun to see just what an amazing talent he really is, and how much of a threat he is to their team's ability to beat us.

I wouldn't doubt that the rest of the world is beginning to see Rondo's talents, which are diverse and immense.

But I'm guessing that - as guava alluded to above - they also saw his shot to Brad Miller's face last year in Game 5 against Chicago (at least a debatable course of action) and more egregiously, his role in the scorer's table incident with Kirk Hinrich in Game 6.

-sw

No doubt ... but there have been far more aggressive actions taken against Rondo than the other way around ... I can't ever remember a guy hitting the floor as hard or as often as Rondo, (and that's going to happen when you attack the basket as strongly as he does). But I think the reason people are now taking these past incidents and blowing them up is because of Rondo's greater visibility and impact on the game. The more widely a player is known, and conversely the more of a threat he is, the more he's going to attract this kind of over-reaction and exaggeration of past incidents, IMHO.

[rav123]

Brad Miller/Kirk Hinrich incidents last year as well as vs. CP3 this year.

Brad Miller was a basketball play (but it definitely should have been a flagrant-1 or -2). Hinrich was unnecessary and deserved an ejection, fine or suspension.

CP3 was uncalled for. Taunting him about how he has no rings is not right especially since 1)CP3 is much better than Rondo may ever be 2) It's not CP3's fault he's stuck on a bad team with a cheap owner and 3)Rondo was lucky to end up in that situation, and CP3 would have thrived even more if he had had Rondo's luck.

[GreenFaith1819]

Brad Miller/Kirk Hinrich incidents last year as well as vs. CP3 this year.

Brad Miller was a basketball play (but it definitely should have been a flagrant-1 or -2). Hinrich was unnecessary and deserved an ejection, fine or suspension.

CP3 was uncalled for. Taunting him about how he has no rings is not right especially since 1)CP3 is much better than Rondo may ever be 2) It's not CP3's fault he's stuck on a bad team with a cheap owner and 3)Rondo was lucky to end up in that situation, and CP3 would have thrived even more if he had had Rondo's luck.

Good Points, rav123.

Rondo could've used a better choice of words for CP3, but I guess that is the competitive side of him.

I don't think Rondo's trash talking is as bad as say Kobe's.

Our PG is definitely approaching the CP3/Deron Williams level, though, as far as talent. Give him another year or so, and he'll be there.

[moiso]

The Miller and Hinrich incidents took place in the playoffs, when everyone was watching.  I'm sure other teams fans don't watch 82 celtics games a year.  I might form an opinion on someone from a team like the Nuggets if I saw him act up a couple times in a playoff series, because I'm not going to watch many of their regular season games.

[pengaloo]

I wonder too about this, but I also wonder about Rondo's negative image in general. While he rarely loses his temper, I think he does have a temper - he's probably one of the most emotional players on our team. Although we fans like to frame it as spirited or fiery.

Like others have mentioned, there have been a couple of "incidents" - drawing blood from Brad Miller, flinging Hinrich to the scorer's table, trash talking with CP3, shoving Kobe, getting into it with Rafer Alston. But I think those incidents are just fueling a negative image that was already established long before some of those high publicity, nationally televised scenes.

Honestly, when I read opinions about Rondo on other teams' boards, I generally see one of three topics:

1. He can't shoot to save his life.
2. He's overrated, take away the Big 3 and he'd be nothing.
3. He looks like a <insert ugly object/creature or homophobic comment>.

And yet, his stock is rising... he made the All Star team despite his inability to shoot; he becomes the best player on his team despite being on a team of Hall of Famers; he's always the one they interview at halftime during nationally televised games. I think these signs of recognition go against what people expect should be the normal treatment for players who have the above three characteristics. People already don't like him and continue to find ways to mar his success. So it doesn't take much for people to categorize him as just a punk, dirty player, fight starter, etc.

It doesn't help that the kid has the oddest on camera personality so people have a hard time connecting with him (as opposed to someone like Ray Allen). He gives one sentence answers, never smiles, sounds confident to the point of arrogance, has a Kentucky accent, seems to intimidate all the reporters, etc.

[2short]

rafer is a punk
brad miller 
Hinrich was playoff basketball
and lastly chris paul incident was rondo's fault/big mouth
no player is above these things, i however don't think rondo is a fight starter at all, to me he shows incredible cool for a young guy
rondo gets a bad call from the ref he doesn't get a t, cool like a vet, walking back and talking to the ref

[Greenbean]

No one likes the guy that beats them.

[xmuscularghandix]

Guys, I don't understand. I've read many posts, different blogs, websites, etc.. but for some reason, Rondo is known as a fight starter or the bad guy who is just so extremely annoying or the little punk...

Can anyone give me some evidence or reasoning how this came about? Maybe I'm just oblivious or something, because it seems like a lot of people feel this way. But I personally don't see how... I'm not being biased or anything because I'm a fan. I'm just curious as to where this is coming from.

He doesn't lose his temper like that. When I do see him lose it, its so rare, that I'm always shocked to see it displayed. I don't see him arguing for fouls or a non call every time, nor do I see him starting fights and arguments with opponents..

Am I missing something when I watch these games? Where is this little fight starting punk that everyone seems to see???

It's because of all those stupid reports last summer. ESPN reports that he's hard to get along with and that he's always clashing with coaches. Then they'd show him yelling at Ray about an assignment and call him a bad teammate.

[Mizzy21390]

TP's to all.. Everyone had great points..

I do remember the Kobe shove, CP3 trash talking, Hinrich and Miller thing. I just couldn't see how those FEW incidents garnered "he's a punk" from so many people. I even remember my anger towards a Bulls fan, who the night of, or the morning after the Brad Miller thing, kept calling Rondo a punk, and I was like, seriously?

Usually someone is a punk when they continue with behavior like this... It was a rare moment. But I guess, like many of you said, opposing fans, just find ways to make themselves feels better... And it didn't help that all the times Rondo was shown being a "punk" it was on national tv.

And like Bahku said, I do agree that its a good thing that they hate him, and call him those things. That means he's doing his job right...

[Onslaught]

If he was on another team and did those things to us then we'd be saying the same things about him. That's just how it work.

[kozlodoev]

CP3 was uncalled for. Taunting him about how he has no rings is not right especially since 1)CP3 is much better than Rondo may ever be 2) It's not CP3's fault he's stuck on a bad team with a cheap owner and 3)Rondo was lucky to end up in that situation, and CP3 would have thrived even more if he had had Rondo's luck.

Rondo leads the NBA in steals and is second in assist, so he's done quite well for himself on a team with three allstars he has to share the ball with. There is no telling whether Paul will do better in Rondo's situation, where he will have to sacrifice shots and play defense (the second -- definitely not his forte), or Rondo in Paul's, where he will have the ball in his hands all the time and free pass to take shots as he sees fit.

Given that Paul is a whiner of epic proportions (he, together with LeBron and Vareajo are the guys who can never take a shot without getting fouled), I don't see a problem with goading him a little bit.