In the wake of the NBA’s decision to suspend Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, and Brandon Ingram for fighting during the Lakers match-up against the Houston Rockets in L.A. over the weekend, the New York Post reports that an investigation is underway to determine the validity of accounts that tell of an altercation that simultaneously broke out between Rondo’s girlfriend and Paul’s wife.
Multiple reports that have surfaced since Saturday night’s brawl indicate that there was indeed some kind of stand-off between the Paul and Rondo camps, with each witness specifying that Paul’s wife, Jada, was the innocent party in the equation. The scope of the stories range from claims that the confrontation was a verbal one to allegations that the incident got slightly physical.
The Athletic’s Shams Charian has gone on the record, via Twitter , to share that fans close enough to observe the developments have gotten in contact with the publication to attest to the sight of someone from Rondo’s family telling Jada Paul off. The Houston Chronicle has cited fans who corroborate those accounts, noting that Paul remained distraught after the game because he had gotten word of “inappropriate” remarks that were made towards his wife.
The most extreme account went so far as to suggest that Rondo’s girlfriend, specifically, put hands on Mrs. Paul. According to Lauren Jones of the Los Angeles Sentinel via Twitter , the eyewitness in question confirms that the woman “shoved” Jada Paul — before security jumped in to quell the chance of any further violence.
An eyewitness told @thelasentinel Ramon Rondo’s significant other shoved Jada Paul, Chris Paul’s wife, who was sitting next to Savannah James. Security immediately broke the two up.
— Lauren Jones (@LoJoMedia) October 21, 2018
Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium : Along with Chris Paul/Rajon Rondo altercation in Lakers-Rockets, one of Rondo’s family members confronted Paul’s wife, Jada. NBA investigating tonight’s on-court altercations ahead of Rockets/Clippers on Sunday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 21, 2018
Chris Paul was still so angry after the game, multiple individuals said, because a member of Rajon Rondo’s family made “inappropriate” comments to Paul’s wife, Jada, in the stands after the altercation.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) October 21, 2018
Jada Paul was seated beside LeBron James’ wife, Savannah, when the alleged commotion broke out. Neither the Paul family nor the James family have spoken out to confirm, or deny, the reports. At the moment, LeBron — whose friendship with Chris Paul goes back to their days as amateurs in the AAU — is actually facing a bit of criticism for his reluctance to speak out on the ordeal.
Among those who’ve been most vocal in condemning the brawl has been Carmelo Anthony, who claims to have seen Rondo spit at Paul with his own two eyes. However, with LeBron having personal relationships on both sides — particularly with Chris Paul being the godfather to one of James’ sons — he has elected to remain neutral. This comes in spite of his allegiance to Rondo and to Ingram as his current teammates.
Gabrielle Union, Savannah James, and Jada Paul on vacation. pic.twitter.com/TTLyByQndl
— MoorInfo (@MoorInformation) July 2, 2016
As it stands, the league has taken prompt and decisive action to punish Paul, Rondo, and Ingram for their behavior. Paul’s two-game suspension is the least severe of the three, although he is being penalized with the heftiest fine at $491,782.
For his part, Rondo will be docked $186,207 and sit out two games, while Ingram will serve a four-game suspension and cough up $158,816 for initiating the ruckus.
