Rajon Rondo, the mercurial NBA point guard known to drive upper management and opposing teams crazy in equal measure, spoke openly and compassionately on ESPN’s The Jump. After talking about his recent season with the Kings — a mixed bag (33-49) ending without a playoff berth — Rondo was asked about the tragic massacre in Orlando.
The question wasn’t as far afield as it first seems. In December Rondo fired a gay slur at referee Bill Kennedy during a game. Kennedy came out after the publicity, and Rondo apologized for his insensitivity. Rondo took the post-Orlando opportunity to apologize again for his Kennedy comment, saying “that’s not who I am if you know me.” As for Orlando, Rondo said:
“Want to send my thoughts and prayers out to the LGBT community. The only thing that’s going to stop all this madness is love. The only thing that can conquer hate is love. I think that’s what we need to do is love one another. My prayers and thoughts go out to the community of Orlando.”
