NBA teams
Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Rajon Rondo tries to stay positive

NBA, Boston Celtics

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Wearing an oversized black sling, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo playfully brushed off speculation about the cause of his broken left hand and stressed that he is remaining positive despite the setback that will sideline him for the start of the 2014-15 season.

Rondo underwent surgery Friday on his left hand after he said he slipped in the shower at his home the previous night. After being spotted at a trampoline park this week, some wondered if Rondo might be masking the cause of his injury.

"Am I under investigation?" Rondo joked when asked to detail the injury during the Celtics' media day. "Certain falls happen and you slip, and I slipped and tried to catch my hand. It wasn't like a banana [peel] slip. I actually almost caught myself. I landed on my knuckle on the windowsill in my home. That's what happened."

A playful Rondo later offered a detailed timeline of his week, including two trips to trampoline parks with his children. Of those visits, which he said took place Tuesday and Thursday, he said he joined in only on Tuesday.

He said he did not jump at the trampoline park Thursday and that the injury happened that night at his house.

"I didn't jump that day," Rondo said of the Thursday visit. "I just let my kids play and run off some steam. It was a school night, so I wanted to go about 45 minutes. People were really nice there; they let me in for free -- that was good.

"That night, I went home and that's when the incident happened. It didn't happen at all at the trampoline place."

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who accompanied Rondo to the podium Monday, said he has no reason to suspect Rondo is deceiving the team and that he would not pursue the matter further.

"We're not investigators," Ainge said.

In fact, Ainge said he can relate to Rondo's fall.

"What makes this story even more unique was, this summer, I was in Vegas and I was staying at the Wynn hotel. I came out of the shower and slipped and smashed my head," Ainge said. "I had to go to the emergency room and get my head glued. I spent the night at the emergency room. I guess it's not so shocking to me that that's possible.

"Talking to our medical staff, it's an injury that does happen when you land. It's not like a hitting injury, or a hitting a wall injury, or something like that. It's an injury that usually happens in the third metacarpal. I wasn't certain it was exactly what happened, but I went to visit with Rondo at his home the other day. I had no reason to not believe Rajon."

Rondo said he knew the injury was serious in the immediate aftermath of the fall.

"I was telling myself that it wasn't what I thought it was," Rondo said. "I tried to grab some things that night. I waited about 30 minutes to make the call to [team trainer] Ed [Lacerte]."

Rondo will be sidelined six to eight weeks, though he hinted it could be as much as 10 weeks. For now, he is trying to remain positive, despite having each of his last two seasons shortened due to an ACL tear and the ensuing rehab.

"The frustration was that day [of the injury], but the last couple days, I've been fine," said Rondo. "I've been pretty positive. I think for what I went through with my ACL, this is nothing.

"I'm still looking forward to the season. I have high hopes."

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