WASHINGTON – Irving Middle School in the Village of Maywood, obviously has some better than usual pick-up basketball games lately.
That’s where Rajon Rondo has been getting his work in these days since being all but ostracized by a Bulls organization that seemingly promised him one thing when he signed, but has delivered something completely different.
After being benched for the last five games, the Bulls had no choice but to turn to Rondo on Tuesday, thanks to a roster that was completely undermanned against the Wizards.
Dwyane Wade had a scheduled off day, while Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic were both hit with flu-like symptoms, so that meant Rondo was once again a necessity.
But the veteran wasn’t going to make life easy for an organization that has all but turned its back on him.
Rondo reiterated that management knows he wants out if his circumstances don’t change, but pulled the curtain back on much more of what’s gone on with him in one of the more confusing storylines of the Bulls season.
“I got a slight explanation from another guy on the staff,’’ Rondo said, when asked why this benching has occurred. “A guy told me that he was saving me from myself.’’
When asked who he was, Rondo replied, “Who is he? I don’t want to say any names. But that’s what the explanation was. [In] Cleveland [last week], they told me I had a negative 20 [in the plus/minus category] in Indiana at halftime. I think that was part of the reason.’’
Rondo was asked how he interpreted what that staff member told him and replied, “I thought it was bulls***, you know.’’
The veteran was asked if coach Fred Hoiberg has given him the details of his circumstances and said, “Um. How can I say this? No.’’
It was the “save me from myself’’ comment, however, that Rondo had a problem with.
“Save me from myself. I never heard that before in my life,’’ Rondo said. “But I guess he was trying to do the best thing for me.’’
Asked directly if he felt he was lied to by the Bulls when they were signing him, Rondo said, “Depends on how you guys write it. But yeah, it’s different. When I signed here, why I wanted to come here, it’s a lot different than what I anticipated.’’
