That's one costly leg stretch.
The NBA fined Rajon Rondo $25,000 for attempting to trip Celtics forward Jae Crowder from his seat on the bench in the final minute of the first quarter of Friday's playoff series Game 3.
Rondo, who was wearing street clothes as he recovers from a fractured right thumb, stuck his right leg out as Crowder loped towards the Bulls' bench after sinking a jumper. Asked about the incident afterward, Rondo, with a straight face, explained that he needs to stretch his leg occasionally because of the torn ACL he suffered in 2013.
"When you tear an ACL, your leg gets stiff on you once in awhile," Rondo said late Friday. "I stretched my leg out."
The league office saw otherwise and doled out the punishment.
Rondo performed a similar action last season against Deron Williams while playing for the Sacramento Kings. That drew league attention but no fine. The previous history likely contributed to this decision.
