Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of a gun on Monday. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, though that sentence was suspended.
Rondo was sentenced to 180 days of probation as well, and during that span, he must avoid drugs and alcohol, be employed and pay probation fees and court costs.
His gun charge is connected to a traffic stop in the state of Indiana back in January.
Rondo allegedly was stopped by police for a traffic violation in Jackson County, and a caller observed his car — a black 2022 Tesla — driving over 100 miles an hour and weaving in and out of traffic. It’s also of note that at the time of the stop, Rondo did not have a license plate on his car.
After Rondo was pulled over, the police smelled an odor of marijuana coming from his car, and thus his vehicle was searched. Per court records, the search uncovered a “personal use” amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia along with a 9mm gun.
The gun in question was reportedly loaded with a bullet in the chamber, too, and thus officers handcuffed Rondo’s hands “for scene safety,” per an affidavit by an Indiana State Police trooper.
Rondo had a no-contact order taken out against him in court, meaning he was not supposed to be in ownership of a gun at the time.
The 38-year-old also had a run-in with the law earlier in the decade. Back in the year 2022, a Louisville, Ky. woman requested an emergency protective order after Rondo allegedly threatened her life.
Rondo had two separate stints playing for the storied Lakers franchise, though both came during the tail end of his NBA career. In his first stint with the team, he helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA title, which marked the 17th championship in the history of the organization. He averaged 8.9 points and 6.6 assists per game across 16 games played in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
