Source: Jason Miller / Getty
Former NBA star Rajon Rondo is asking an Indiana court to dismiss gun charges against him. The 38-year-old, best known for his time with the Boston Celtics says he had a constitutional right to own a gun that was found in his car during a traffic stop in January.
“The statute under which Rondo is charged fails to be consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” lawyers for Rondon argued in a court document obtained by TMZ.
On Jan. 28, Rondo was stopped in Jackson County, Indiana, which is in the vicinity of the metro areas of Indianapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati. Rondo grew up in Louisville.
The two-time NBA champion was stopped in his Tesla while driving on the highway as the car had no plates. Once stopped, police say they noted the smell of marijuana and found a loaded Sig Sauer P365, THC gummies, a small amount of weed, and a pipe with weed residue in it.
Rondo was charged with possession of paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was ultimately released on a $705 bond.
Although his lawyers argue that he can lawfully possess the weapon, police say he is not supposed to carry a firearm due to a previous charge, per the TMZ report. And according to them, he knew it.
In his report, an officer said, “I asked Rondo Sr. if he was allowed to have a gun, and Rondo Sr. said he was not allowed.”
The judge has not yet ruled on the motion but a hearing is scheduled for later this month.
Rondo last played with the Cavaliers in 2022. In a 16-year career Rondo won a championship with the Celtics in 2008 and the Lakers in 2020, becoming only the second player in NBA history to win with both teams. (The previous player to do so, Clyde Lovellette, won with the Minneapolis Lakers).
He’s had his struggles off the court, including an allegation that he threatened a woman with a gun at her home in Louisville in 2022, though that case was dismissed. In 2020, a woman sued after saying she was injured in an altercation between her, his girlfriend, and Rondo in a parking garage. That case was settled in 2020.
See how social media reacted to Rondo’s arrest below.
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