We know a little more about why things "just didn't work" in Dallas between head coach Rick Carlisle and former Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo.
Rondo parked in Carlisle's spot at the American Airlines Center last season, and an irate Carlisle apparently wanted the car towed, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reports.
That was one of many blow-ups between the no-nonsense Carlisle and the infamously stubborn Rondo, which ultimately came to a head in the playoffs when Rondo was essentially banished from the team after giving up on a play.
Rondo faced his former team for the first time Monday and scored 21 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 112-98 victory. Afterward, Rondo shared his thoughts on how their rocky relationship ended.
"Every relationship doesn't work," Rondo said to Tim McMahon of ESPN.com. "It just didn't work. No excuses. No pointing the finger at anybody. It made me stronger, made me appreciate just playing the game, especially playing at a high level. I never doubted myself. It just didn't work."
Carlisle admitted last week that trading for Rondo was a misstep.
"Listen, we all did everything we could to make it work. It was challenging," Carlisle said. "Going back in time, it's a deal we should have shied away from, for the sake of us and for the sake of him. It's a deal we shouldn't have made."
For old times' sake, the two butted heads once again despite belonging to different teams. During a timeout, Rondo crept over to the Mavericks' sideline in hopes of eavesdropping on Carlisle's huddle, and his old coach responded, well, in kind.
"He just told me to get the f--- out of here," Rondo said with a laugh. "Yeah, I've heard that before."
