Bulls' Rajon Rondo Explodes On Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade In Instagram Post
(CBS) A day after Bulls stars Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade blasted their young teammates for supposedly not caring enough about their jobs and winning, veteran point guard Rajon Rondo has responded, firing back in what appears to be a direct shot at Butler and Wade.
Rondo posted to Instagram late Thursday afternoon, a day after Chicago's 119-114 loss to Atlanta in which it blew a 10-point lead with under three minutes remaining, which set Butler and Wade off. Rondo's post included a picture of him with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce during their days with the Celtics, who won a championship in 2008.
Here's the post in text format:
"My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn't pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn't take days off. My vets didn't care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn't blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn't have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn't change the plan because it didn't work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can't win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don't deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it's the leadership."
On Wednesday after the collapse, both Butler and Wade called out their young teammates.
"Mother ******* just got to care if we win or lose," Butler said after scoring 40 points.
Added Wade: "I don't know if I see enough guys who really, really want it. Losses like this have to hurt them. I'm 35 years old. I have three championships. It shouldn't hurt me more than it hurts these young guys. They have to want it."
