NBA veteran and two-time champion Rajon Rondo found himself in legal trouble over the weekend after being arrested in southern Indiana on misdemeanor drug and gun charges.
The incident unfolded when Indiana State Police received reports of a 2022 Tesla driving recklessly on I-65 in Bartholomew County. Troopers subsequently pulled over the vehicle as it entered Jackson County and detected the odor of marijuana emanating from it.
Upon searching the car, authorities discovered suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm. Rondo was subsequently taken into custody and booked into the Jackson County Jail on charges including possessing a firearm while being prohibited, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Notably, a juvenile present in Rondo’s vehicle during the traffic stop was released to a family member.
Rondo, who immediately posted bond and was released, is scheduled to appear in Jackson County Superior Court for an initial hearing on February 27. The former NBA guard, who began his basketball career in Louisville, Kentucky, and later starred for the Kentucky Wildcats, enjoyed a successful tenure in the NBA spanning 16 seasons.
However, this incident isn’t Rondo’s first brush with legal issues. He was reportedly prohibited from carrying a firearm due to a non-contact court order issued in August, stemming from a previous protective order filed against him in 2022. The initial order was filed after a Louisville woman accused Rondo of threatening her life in an altercation.
Rondo’s arrest has drawn attention both for the serious nature of the charges and his storied basketball career, which includes winning NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. As the legal proceedings unfold, Rondo’s future remains uncertain, with the incident casting a shadow over his reputation and legacy in the basketball world.