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Paul’s frustration grows, even as he hides it
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
Nov 3, 3:47 am EST
Buzz up! 421
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NEW YORK – Never is there a wise time to test the tolerance of the planet’s best point guard, but Rajon Rondo(notes) has that irritating ability to push people’s patience to the brink. The sluggish state of the New
Orleans Hornets had Chris Paul(notes) seething on Sunday night, his mood even edgier with a report that Rondo
had privately disparaged Paul’s talents within the Boston Celtics’ locker room.
Beyond the charming smile and gentlemanly disposition, Paul has a tenacious will and a terrific temper. Beyond it all, he’s downright ferocious.
So, here was Rondo surrounded with an embarrassment of point guard riches – K.G., Paul Pierce(notes) and Ray Allen
(notes), a championship
banner and a fat, new $55 million contract. Rondo felt emboldened, eager to engage Paul. The procession of trash talk, sources said, pushed into the personal when Rondo was heard to tell Paul, “I’ve got a ring, and you’re never gonna win one.”
As they traded technical fouls at the Boston Garden, as emotions escalated, sources said Rondo declared that Paul wished he could be him, suggesting that his frustration dripped with envy. On the way to the locker room, Hornets coach Byron Scott heard Paul insist that Rondo “is gonna respect me as a man,” and soon Paul started on his way down the corridor to tell the Celtics point guard himself.
Several coaches prevented Paul from getting close to Rondo outside the Celtics’ locker room, but the overriding theme of Paul’s rage was easily understood: Before you talk trash again, feel free to walk a mile in my Brand Jordan’s.
“If Rondo had to trade in K.G., Pierce, Ray and Rasheed for the guys that Chris plays with [in New Orleans], I guarantee that you wouldn’t be seeing Rondo get a $55 million contract,” one Hornets source said.
Twenty-four hours later on Monday night, Paul played brilliantly – 32 points and 13 assists – and still the Hornets lost again. This time, it was to the pitiful New York Knicks, 117-111 at Madison Square Garden. When someone suggested the Hornets could lose contact with contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference, that the Hornets didn’t want to be a seventh or eighth seed, Paul responded in a most truthful way. “Man,” he said, “we want to get to the playoffs.”
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By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
Nov 3, 3:47 am EST
Buzz up! 421
NEW YORK – Never is there a wise time to test the tolerance of the planet’s best point guard, but Rajon Rondo(notes) has that irritating ability to push people’s patience to the brink. The sluggish state of the New
Orleans Hornets had Chris Paul(notes) seething on Sunday night, his mood even edgier with a report that Rondo
had privately disparaged Paul’s talents within the Boston Celtics’ locker room.
Beyond the charming smile and gentlemanly disposition, Paul has a tenacious will and a terrific temper. Beyond it all, he’s downright ferocious.
So, here was Rondo surrounded with an embarrassment of point guard riches – K.G., Paul Pierce(notes) and Ray Allen
(notes), a championship
banner and a fat, new $55 million contract. Rondo felt emboldened, eager to engage Paul. The procession of trash talk, sources said, pushed into the personal when Rondo was heard to tell Paul, “I’ve got a ring, and you’re never gonna win one.”
As they traded technical fouls at the Boston Garden, as emotions escalated, sources said Rondo declared that Paul wished he could be him, suggesting that his frustration dripped with envy. On the way to the locker room, Hornets coach Byron Scott heard Paul insist that Rondo “is gonna respect me as a man,” and soon Paul started on his way down the corridor to tell the Celtics point guard himself.
Several coaches prevented Paul from getting close to Rondo outside the Celtics’ locker room, but the overriding theme of Paul’s rage was easily understood: Before you talk trash again, feel free to walk a mile in my Brand Jordan’s.
“If Rondo had to trade in K.G., Pierce, Ray and Rasheed for the guys that Chris plays with [in New Orleans], I guarantee that you wouldn’t be seeing Rondo get a $55 million contract,” one Hornets source said.
Twenty-four hours later on Monday night, Paul played brilliantly – 32 points and 13 assists – and still the Hornets lost again. This time, it was to the pitiful New York Knicks, 117-111 at Madison Square Garden. When someone suggested the Hornets could lose contact with contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference, that the Hornets didn’t want to be a seventh or eighth seed, Paul responded in a most truthful way. “Man,” he said, “we want to get to the playoffs.”
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