Sometimes beef can be surprising. It can come out of nowhere and sneak up on ya in the least expected of ways. A lot of the feuds we’ve covered over the years typically hit on friends-turned-foes or on a once-great relationship that just soured over time. In other cases, beef stares you right in the face, and you let it walk through your front door. That’s what we have between Rajon Rondo and Rick Carlisle.
Individually, both dudes are widely recognized for their genius in hoops. They both are also just as famously known for being stubborn assholes. In his early years of coaching, Carlisle built a reputation as an authoritative figure who alienated his players and wanted to control every aspect of the offensive playcalling. As a point guard, Rondo had an uncanny ability to see the game like no other, which often led him to challenge his coaches, thinking he saw something on the floor they didn’t. I mean, he and Celtics coach Doc Rivers nearly got into a fist fight, but that's a story for another day.
The point is, both dudes are extremely great at their jobs, but can be extremely difficult to work with. So when the Dallas Mavericks traded for Rondo before the 2015 trade deadline, a team coached by Carlsie, what do you expect when you pair two headstrong dudes together? Beef, of course!