Former Celtics, Louisville native Rajon Rondo is ‘trying to stay strong’ following Breonna Taylor grand jury decision
“It’s been very emotional for me the last couple of days,” Rondo told The Undefeated.
What happened to Breonna Taylor evokes strong emotions from Rajon Rondo.
The former Celtics star, who now plays for the Lakers, is from Louisville and shared his disappointment in the grand jury’s decision to not charge the three police officers for their roles in the death of Taylor.
“It’s been very emotional for me the last couple of days,” Rondo told Marc Spears of The Undefeated following the Lakers’ Game 4 win over the Nuggets on Thursday. “I’m just trying to keep my mind busy. When I get some time to myself, it’s hard not to think about it. It’s my hometown. I have a daughter. Black women don’t have no value since [Black people] have been here [in America]. It’s hard, frustrating and hurtful.
“A young, innocent woman [Taylor] was in her bed … and the bullets get charged for going through a building for endangerment versus a person’s body that is not here anymore,” Rondo added of the situation.
Rondo’s daughter, Ryelle, turned 13 on Thursday. Rondo told his daughter that he’d never miss her birthday again when he talked to her over FaceTime earlier in the day, according to Spears. He also made the decision to not talk about what happened with Taylor’s case on her birthday.
“My daughter is very aware,” Rondo told Spears. “She understands it. She’s 13. But this happened over the last 24 hours and I didn’t say much about it because today was her birthday. I stay high praising for her. But eventually, we will get to sit down and talk. Her mom is doing a heck of a job raising her and bringing to light what is going on. So, for me personally, as a dad, I didn’t want to harp on it being her birthday. A couple more days that it passes and we will see how she is feeling about it then.”
Rondo is choosing to stay optimistic in the aftermath of Taylor’s death and the lack of charges for her killing. He’s confident that Yvette Genrty, who is the executive director of the Rajon Rondo Foundation, will do a good job as Louisville’s interim police chief when she takes over on Oct. 1.
“I’m trying to stay strong and trying to make a difference,” Rondo said. “My lady that runs my foundation now is about to take over as police chief. I’m just talking with her daily to continue to bring awareness and tackle and hold these people accountable…I’m becoming more confident in the future because who is in position. I have a lot of confidence in Yvette Gentry.”
Lakers star LeBron James stood behind his teammate, saying the decision weighed “heavy” on he and his teammates’ minds.
“As heavy as it’s been on us, it’s even heavier on him, because that’s his hometown,” James told TNT’s Allie LaForce after Thursday’s game.
“We want justice, no matter how long it takes.”@KingJames on Breonna Taylor. pic.twitter.com/erQVLv43lm
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) September 25, 2020
“We lost a beautiful woman in Breonna, that has no say so in what’s going on right now, and we want justice, no matter how long it takes, even though it’s been so many days, so many hours, so many minutes for her family, for her community,” James later said.
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