Rajon Rondo Suspended 2 Games For Throwing Ball At Ref During Celtics-Pistons Game (VIDEO)

NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended two games without pay by the NBA for throwing a ball at an official during a game.

Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president for basketball operations, announced the suspension Monday, one day after Rondo received two technical fouls and was ejected late in the third quarter of Boston's 96-81 loss at the Detroit Pistons.

Rondo was upset that a foul wasn't called with about 3:00 left in the quarter and tossed the ball at referee Sean Wright. He followed that with a verbal barrage directed at Wright and was ejected from a game for the first time in his professional career.

"You're always disappointed when that happens," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "You should never put yourself in front of the team. But it's an emotional game. We can all agree that it was a pretty bad foul and a clear foul that wasn't called. At the time, we were getting our butts kicked and the frustration was high and it's a human game. I can guarantee you five seconds, 30 seconds after it happened, I guarantee you Rondo wished he could take it back."

Rondo will miss Monday night's game at Dallas and Wednesday's matchup with Oklahoma City.

Rivers didn't seem surprised that the suspension was for two games.

"They told us early to don't prepare for him playing tonight. When they said that, I felt it meant multiple, otherwise they would have said one game."

Comments

[ttopaster]

12:44 AM on 02/23/2012

two games for that??

[I AM THAT]

11:50 AM on 02/22/2012

He should try pick-up games at the Y and see what happens. Cry baby. But a legitimate complaint may have been warranted, but not that way.

[JustinP213]

12:15 PM on 02/21/2012

It doesn't matter if the ref made the right decision or not. Rando was definitely wrong for throwing the ball at the ref.

[David4FreePress]

09:58 AM on 02/21/2012

The refs have too much power and don't publically have to answer for their actions. The NBA has to answer for refs not doing a good job at protecting players. Maybe they can't stop refs from being able to swing a game one way or the other, but this is about player safetly. It goes beyond this one player to avoiding fights.

[I AM THAT]

11:46 AM on 02/22/2012

it has to be taken up via complaints...not decided on the court with an offensive gesture.

[albinoG]

09:36 AM on 02/21/2012

The NBA refs have to be the worst Refs on the planet, hands down. The little guy got crushed, and not one whistle. I would have aimed for the face if I were Rondo. Whatever happened to protecting the players? Since the first day the season started on DEC 25th the refs have done a horrible job officating these games. Rondo was standing up for himself like every individual should when they are being mistreated.

[I AM THAT]

11:46 AM on 02/22/2012

it was still the wrong way to handle it.

[ttopaster]

12:47 AM on 02/23/2012

yes it was, but it's not like he tucked the thing at him. i am a celtic fan and i am trying to look at this as if a laker did it, i believe i would have the same reaction.

it just seems like it's an overreaction to what happened, if rondo really threw the ball hard then i would agree...maybe i need to see it on the tv instead of a crappy video online.

[Paul OhioSprtzfan Sink]

08:59 AM on 02/21/2012

Most people would be mad if someone else came down on their back with the force it looked like the guy landed on Rondos back.Would like to hear the conversation that took place between the ref and Rondo.Didnt he have any idea the ball was getting returned to him?It was a soft underhanded toss.

[dvglass3]

09:29 AM on 02/21/2012

He should have been suspended 10 games at least. You cannot let the players try to bully the refs ever.

[Paul OhioSprtzfan Sink]

09:36 AM on 02/21/2012

Oh yeah with Rondo's long history of bullying!What?

[joymij]

05:18 PM on 02/21/2012

10 games? Andrew Bynum got a 5 game suspension after he almost killed the point guard on the Mav's with a high flying clothes-line that landed the PG on his upper back / neck. The ref deserved to have the ball thrown at him for the missed call. If that was Kobe, it would have been called.

10 games is way to much. 2 is too much. A fine would have been fitting, but the NBA takes care of their refs. Their players, not so much.

[tanya11111]

10:28 AM on 02/21/2012

totally agree... what a bunch of bull... so he gets suspended the same amount as Kevin love got suspended for stomping on somebody's face.

[Minnehaha]

05:56 PM on 02/21/2012

I agree! The way he tossed the ball, looked pretty routine. The Ref. could have caught that ball.

[montanasian]

08:50 AM on 02/21/2012

oh well, no love lost here. Dont like him or any boston team.

[rondo is amazing9]

10:32 AM on 02/21/2012

then gett outta here; rondo isnt forcing u to be here is he?

[montanasian]

05:26 PM on 02/21/2012

Oh you bostonians just kill me. lol. It was a good laugh but I'll let you go get your mullet haircut and let you watch Goodwill Hunting after you get back from your Janitor job.
P.s. Just having fun with my boston fans since your redsox killed my angels in 86.
I know way to long ago but it sticks with me. See ya Rondo is amazing9

[I AM THAT]

11:49 AM on 02/22/2012

u "gett outta" here. LOL

[LONDON3]

07:37 AM on 02/21/2012

Rondo don't blow his gasket often so , ....... I am sure he will cool off and return to his game....They need to get him some younger talent with Boston, lot of them katz gettin old like the Lakers

[tanya11111]

10:29 AM on 02/21/2012

it has been a depressing year.

[truthtim]

07:13 AM on 02/21/2012

I am a Knick fan...
but he got crushed, and it looked like just a hard toss
but still he needs to keep his cool

[promotionitinc]

02:22 AM on 02/21/2012

I dont know why rondo is always such a cry baby. He is a grown man he needs to grow the heck up seriously wtf! Here is another video of him throwing the ball at the ref:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWqmWbom4Tg
He deserves to get suspended 2 games just for being a baby, but i know it will not teach him a lesson.

[rondo is amazing9]

10:35 AM on 02/21/2012

shut up. yea if u were rondo; u'd auctually be crying; just so u knw, rondo wasant. he has every right to be mad. I WOULD OF SLAPPED THE OFFICIAL IF I WERE RONDO. cuz rondo threw the ball so the official could catch it. i think hes aware of the concequeces that he would face if he did anything to the official so i clearly think he threw it so the official can catch it. its the official's fault for not catching it. soo gett outtaa here; and stop crying cuz rondo is amazing.!

[joymij]

05:20 PM on 02/21/2012

Yea, he's a baby. One of the smallest guys in the NBA gets pushed around every game by these larger players and loses his cool once. That makes him a baby. If that guy landed on you, you wouldn't be able to get up.

[cameron d]

12:53 AM on 02/21/2012

This has not been a good year for Rondo in Boston. He's playing well enough but things really got off on the wrong foot after he found out they were trying to deal him. Not good at all.

[mr whiteffolks]

10:54 PM on 02/20/2012

Maybe those refs are on the take !

[mr whiteffolks]

10:53 PM on 02/20/2012

Maybe it's me but it appeared that Piston guy came down on Rondo's back ! Poor officiating !

[stjoshy]

09:46 PM on 02/20/2012

bad call. bad reaction. bad team. GO LAKERS

[rondo is amazing9]

10:37 AM on 02/21/2012

if your a lakers fan thann gett outta here. its about BOSTON ,if u cant read.

[stjoshy]

10:44 AM on 02/21/2012

widdle rondo thinks he deserves calls like the big boys. thats fresh. your team is old and going nowhere

[DarkHorses]

08:57 PM on 02/20/2012

Maybe Rajon can practice his free-throw shooting over the next 48 hrs.