IT, Rondo ejected from Pels-Lakers tilt for fight over video tribute

Around the league, as teams head into All Star Week, it seems there are more than a few narratives as tired as the players.
One of the more prominently tired narratives revolves around a video tribute night that is already past, yet is still generating rancor between two ex-Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Thomas. Both were ejected in last night's tilt between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers, their respective teams now, after Rondo reportedly hit Isaiah multiple times while bringing up Thomas' tribute video drama.

Said Thomas of the incident (per Boston.com's Nicole Yang):

"For whatever reason, he’s an upset guy about me ... I don’t know what it is, but it’s fine. He kept bringing the tribute up, when I was the one that shut the tribute down. I’m far past that. I’m on the Lakers trying to figure out how to help this team win.My team beat his team in the playoffs last year ... Maybe that is what’s wrong. I don’t know. Nothing should’ve made that escalate like it did. But he already had his agenda written down right when I checked into the game. It was obvious. He picked me up full court, trying to be physical. It was obvious."

Rondo did appear to be the aggressor, and Isaiah, who claimed self defense in the tussle that resulted in the double ejection, laid the blame at the officials for ignoring it until he felt the need to respond in kind (per Yang):

"At some point, as a human, if no one is going to protect me, I got to protect myself ... That is when I spoke up and got upset. I hope the NBA figures something out with that, because it was wrong for me to be ejected."

Rajon was not available after the game to comment.

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Image: AP/Gerald Herbert
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