Rajon Rondo just made his season debut for the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of weeks ago. Just five games into his 14th NBA season, the feisty playmaker was already ejected in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

Likewise, the NBA gave Rondo a hefty $35,000 fine for his actions. Rondo pointed to his tainted reputation as to why the referees threw him out of the match.

“You know, you’re a four-, five-time felon, the judgment is kind of harsher when you’ve had a history prior,” Rondo said via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

According to the report, the NBA penalized Rondo for a trio of reasons: making “unsportsmanlike contact” with Oklahoma City guard Dennis Schroder, verbally abusing the referees, and not leaving the court immediately following his ejection.

The referees issued a flagrant foul 2 to Rondo early in the fourth quarter of the LAL-OKC game after they caught him hitting Schroder’s groin area with his leg. Rondo obviously didn’t appreciate the ejection and continued to go at the refs.

Both Schroder and Rondo had already been jawing throughout the night prior to the incident. In fact, officials issued a double-technical to them for having a heated verbal exchange in the second quarter.

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Rondo has had multiple altercations with officials and players alike over the course of his career. Likewise, he has also been on the receiving end of some pretty hefty fines due to some run-ins with officials.
Fortunately for him, despite his wallet feeling a little lighter, the ejection didn’t translate to any further suspensions.