Lakers guard discusses Breonna Taylor case in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla – Rajon Rondo sent his daughter, Ryelle, « gifts and love » from afar Thursday for her 13th birthday The Los Angeles Lakers goalie told him on FaceTime that he would never miss her birthday again He also decided to save his interview with his daughter on Breonna Taylor’s news in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, for another day.
« It’s hard My daughter turned 13 today An innocent young woman [Taylor] was in her bed and the bullets are accused of passing through a building for endangering the body of a person who is no longer here, ”Rondo told The Undefeated after the Lakers’ 114-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets in the fourth game of the Western Conference final
“My daughter is very conscious,” he continued “She understands it She is 13 years old But this has happened in the last 24 hours and I haven’t talked much about it because it was today her birthday I stay full of praise for her But eventually we can sit down and talk Her mom does a hell of a job raising her and shining a light on what’s going on So for me personally, as a father, I don’t didn’t want to stress that it was her birthday. A few more days and we’ll see what she feels about it then «
One of three Louisville cops who raided Taylor’s apartment, Brett Hankison, was charged with three counts of gratuitous endangerment on Wednesday for shooting at a neighbor’s apartment But a grand jury decided not to go ahead with charges against one of the officers for their role in Taylor’s death The ruling has hurt advocates in hopes of justice for the Afro woman 26-year-old American, who was gunned down on March 13
“It’s been very emotional for me these last few days,” Rondo said “I just try to keep my mind busy When I have time for myself it’s hard not to think about it It’s my hometown I have a daughter Black women have no value since [black people] have been here [in America] It is difficult, frustrating and hurtful…
« Obviously it’s over with the state, but the FBI is obviously investigating. Hopefully there will be a better result than there has been so far »
Lakers star LeBron James said the players offered their support to Rondo knowing he was from Louisville
“One thing, we wanted to be there for our brother, ‘Do [Rondo]’ As much as this is devastating for us, you can’t imagine this happening in your backyard,” James said. “Being from Louisville , we knew how difficult it must be for his family and the locals »
There were protests in Louisville for two consecutive nights to protest against Taylor’s news During Wednesday night’s protests, two Louisville police officers were shot dead A suspect has since been arrested
“Once we are done protesting, we have to go to the conference hall,” Rondo said “This is where the change is happening… The change is happening in the voting room Now we have to make a difference by going to the conference rooms and understanding what is going on in the meetings and then making a change that way «
Despite the news from Taylor, Rondo is optimistic that positive changes will come to Louisville when Yvette Gentry becomes the city’s acting chief of police on October 1 The African-American woman has over 20 years of experience with the Louisville Metro Police Department, most notably as Deputy Chief before retiring in 2014 She will be the third Louisville Police Chief since Taylor’s death Coincidentally, Gentry is the executive director of the Rondo Foundation, the Rondo charity
« I’m trying to stay strong and I’m trying to make a difference, » Rondo said « My wife who runs my foundation is about to take over as chief of police I’m just talking to her every day to continue to raise awareness and to fight and to hold these people accountable… I become more confident in the future, because who is in position I have a lot of confidence in Yvette Gentry…
« We’ve been trying to make changes since the beginning, when we started working with my foundation for the past two years. Now we have to get behind the mayor, the rest of the state and government officials. »
On Thursday night, Rondo was also able to be a leader for the Lakers on the field He had 11 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in 22 minutes on the bench in the win of Game 4 He also moved up to eighth place on NBA all-time assists list, overtaking Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen The 14-year-old veteran averages 75 points, 83 assists and 30 rebounds in the Western Conference final
« He played at the highest level, and he’s someone we can trust, » James said of Rondo, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 « In the playoffs , every possession is so important When you can have guys who have been through those times and who can understand and be able to make adjustments on the fly, and know that you can count on them for the duration of time, it makes l team and you individually feel so much more confident in the result Since coming back from an injury and seeing this race in the playoffs, he has been exceptional «
Lakers can advance to 2020 NBA Finals with another win over Nuggets Rondo, 34, relishes the opportunity to win another championship before retiring
“That’s why I’m still in this league,” Rondo said “Obviously I’m not here for a check I want to win I want that feeling again… My kids see me winning at an age where they now understand the game That’s the biggest goal, winning with a great group of guys You sure don’t take that for granted
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« I won with a great group of guys [Celtics] that I’ve won with in the past We’re still friends to this day Still brothers to this day Now I hope we can do it again with a other championship «
Rondo has said his son, Rajon Rondo Jr, is in quarantine and is set to enter the bubble soon If the Lakers make the NBA Finals, Rondo is also hoping his brother William will be able to attend games again William Rondo, who oversees all the barbers, hair braiders, hairstylists and manicurists in the bubble, hasn’t attended a Lakers game since he had words with Houston Rockets goalie Russell Westbrook in the win in the Lakers’ game five at the Western Conference semi-finals on September 12
Rondo said of his brother, whom he called his « rock » in the bubble: « Better to be there »
Marc J Spears is the NBA Senior Writer for The Undefeated He was able to dive on you, but he hasn’t been in years and his knees still hurt
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World news – United States – Rajon Rondo: « It was very moving for me these last days »
