1 of 3 | New York Knicks' Willy Hernangomez watches Mindausgas Kuzminskas intercept a pass from Chicago Bulls' Rajon Rondo in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 12, 2017. The Knicks defeated the Bulls 106-89. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Only in today's NBA can you use your social media account as a platform to call out teammates for sounding off through the media.
Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo pulled off the somewhat hypocritical feat Thursday, when he posted his gripe with teammates Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler on Instagram. Rondo was fuming that Wade and Butler went to the media to discuss their displeasure with teammates after Wednesday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. With the setback, the Bulls fell to 23-24 on the season.
"I don't know if people care enough...It just doesn't mean enough to guys around here," Wade said, via the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "And it pisses me off."
"I'm 35 years old," Wade said. "I have three championships. It shouldn't hurt me more than it hurts these young guys. They have to want it. I can look at Jimmy and say Jimmy is doing his job. I think Jimmy can look at me and say Dwyane is doing his job. I don't know if we can keep going down the line and be able to say that."
Butler scored 40 points and had four rebounds and three assists, while Wade had 33 points, 5 rebounds, and two assists in the loss.
"We don't play hard enough," Butler told Johnson. "This is your job. I want to play with guys who care."
Rondo scored three points and had three assists in nine minutes. His Instagram rant featured a photo from his Boston Celtics days, with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
"My vets would never go to the media," Rondo wrote. "They would come to the team. My vets didn't pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn't take days off. My vets didn't care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn't blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game."
"My vets didn't have an influence on the coaching staff," Rondo wrote. "They couldn't change the plan because it didn't work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can't win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don't deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it's the leadership."
The Bulls host the Miami Heat at 8 p.m. Friday at the United Center.
