The early 2010s matchups between the two exceptional guards, Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, became increasingly intense and heated both on the court and in their post-game verbal exchanges.

During the final moments of a November 2012 Heat-Celtics game, Rondo was called for a flagrant one foul against the Miami superstar. This incident D-Wade himself later dubbed a “punk play.” In his typical fashion, Rajon, however, didn’t leave it at that.

“I don’t think it was a hard foul. He sold it a little bit, and that’s basketball. They were up, he drove to the hole and I didn’t want to give up a layup. Simple as that. I didn’t yank him down or dirty plays that you’ve seen him play in the past, so that’s what it is,” fired Celtics former floor general back.

Rondo vs. Wade

Rondo’s storied and not officially concluded NBA career has seen its fair share of clashes with various individuals. This includes an over decade-long animosity with Chris Paul, self-addressed issues with head coach Rick Carlisle, and at times, the point guard being notably cheeky with journalists. Also, the D-Wade incident wasn’t an isolated case involving both of them.

In the 2011 Semifinals Game 3, Wade forcefully brought Rondo to the floor, causing him to dislocate an elbow. In another incident, during the Finals Game 7, both were assessed technical fouls for jawing at each other simultaneously.

A foreshadowing of their next clash unfolded as follows in the aforementioned game. Heats’s guard was driving to the basket, seeking an easy layup; it was the perfect moment for Rondo to seek payback.

Rajon forcefully halted Wade by wrapping his left arm around his shoulder and neck to impede the Miami player. Dwyane, in turn, was ready to kickstart the next chapter in their feud.

“We’re basketball players,” said D-Wade afterward. “If you want to go do something else, then go do something else. Boxing and all those things, this is not it. We’re basketball players here. I was glad I was able to stop myself in that very moment and move on from it. We’ll see next time we play.”

Their troubled Bulls tenure

However, instead of another round of payback, fate had a different plan in mind. Rondo and Wade would join forces for the first time, forming an alpha male “big three” alongside Jimmy Butler before the 2016-17 season with the Chicago Bulls.

Things didn’t entirely unfold as expected for both guards, now in the twilight of their careers but still fitted with high-value contracts. It became an utterly forgettable period for everyone involved with the Bulls.

Locker room drama quickly erupted, with vague objectives, unclear roles, leader assignments, and accusations of dedication issues, particularly among the young players. Unsurprisingly, shortly after that, the team was eliminated from the first round of the playoffs.

Just a few weeks ago, Rajon provided first-hand insight into this troublesome Bulls season, and it’s no surprise that the lack of chemistry played a significant role in their struggles. This period certainly didn’t help improve the already quite rocky relationship between Rondo and Wade.