Rajon Rondo said he was supposed to make a cameo in ‘Uncut Gems’
Rondo recently explained why he missed his "first big role."
While Kevin Garnett’s central role ensures the Celtics have a strong presence in the new movie “Uncut Gems,” another former Boston basketball star almost made a cameo appearance as well.
Rajon Rondo, who played in Boston from 2006-2014, said he was supposed to be in the movie too. Yet, according to the 33-year-old guard, his acting career was put on hold due to a missed flight.
In a story he relayed to Bob Oram of The Athletic, Rondo explained that he couldn’t make his 6 a.m. flight and elected not to charter a plane. The result was that he missed his “first big role.”
Note: Rondo used strong language in discussing his failed cameo.
Rajon Rondo said he had been cast for a cameo with Kevin Garnett in Uncut Gems but missed his 6 a.m. flight to filming. “First big role, too,” he said. “I missed the flight and I was like, ‘Shit, I don’t want to take a private (jet), about $95,000.’ … Fucked up my debut.”
— Bill Oram (@billoram) December 16, 2019
Rondo, now with the Lakers, was not the only Los Angeles basketball player to have been considered for a role in the film at one point. According to The Ringer’s Alan Siegel, Kobe Bryant was once seen as the centerpiece NBA player in the plot. But when Bryant’s representatives said that he was only interested in directing and not acting, “Uncut Gems” directors Josh and Benny Safdie moved on.
In the end, Garnett was chosen as the focus, with the movie being set during a 2012 playoff series.
The film, which debuts on Christmas Day, tells the story of a jeweler (played by Adam Sandler) who makes a high-stakes bet with a potentially huge payoff. Here’s a trailer:
https://youtu.be/vTfJp2Ts9X8
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