Former NBA PG Rajon Rondo pleads guilty to gun charge in Indiana, won't serve jail time
Former NBA point guard Rajon Rondo pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Rondo entered his plea at a courthouse in Jackson County, Indiana, according to local reports. He will not serve jail time.
Rondo was arrested in January after being pulled over for a traffic violation in Jackson County. Per police, Rondo was driving his Tesla more than 100 mph and weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 65.
The arresting officer said that he smelled marijuana during the traffic stop, prompting a search. Recreational marijuana is not legal in Indiana. The officer found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a 9mm handgun during the search, according to police.
Rondo was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana. The drug charges were dropped as part of Rondo's plea agreement. All three charges were misdemeanors.
Rondo was sentenced to 180 days in jail and credited with time served for two days previously spent in jail. The sentence was suspended, per the plea agreement. Rondo instead will be placed on probation for 180 days. He'll be required to maintain employment and avoid drug and alcohol use during probation, WDRB reports.
According to reports, Rondo was prohibited from possessing a firearm per emergency protective orders taken out against him in 2022 after he allegedly threatened a woman with a gun at her home in Kentucky. Rondo was not charged with a crime in that incident.
According to the protective order, Rondo was playing a video game with the woman's son when she asked her child to help with laundry. Rondo then ripped the video game console from the wall and smashed multiple items, including a teacup and outdoor lights, before leaving the house, the order states.
The woman said that Rondo then returned to the house with a gun, told her "you're dead" and demanded to see her son. He eventually left the property after police arrived, according to the protective order.
The protective order was eventually dismissed after both sides reportedly reached an agreement.
Rondo initially pleaded not guilty to the gun charge, and his trial was delayed pending a Second Amendment case in the U.S. Supreme Court. His attorney challenged the constitutionality of the gun charge.
In June, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law barring anyone facing a domestic-violence restraining order from possessing a gun. Rondo changed his plea on the gun charge to guilty, leading to Tuesday's ruling.
Rondo played 16 seasons in the NBA after two seasons in college at Kentucky. He made four All-Star teams and was named to an NBA All-Defensive team four times. He led the league in assists in three different seasons and was the starting point guard for the 2008 Boston Celtics team that won the NBA championship. He also played a key role for the 2020 NBA champion Lakers. Rondo last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022.
