A complete history of Rajon Rondo pissing off his coaches

Rajon Rondo's done it again.

See, his yelling match in Tuesday's home win against Toronto and his subsequent one-game suspension for "conduct detrimental to the team" which he served Wednesday is far, far from the first time Rondo and a head coach have got into a dispute. In fact, that's kind of his thing.

He's a basketball genius who understands the game as well as anyone in the league. One of his passes on Tuesday prior to the benching even caught the ever-reliable Tyson Chandler by surprise. He can find passing angles others can't and see defenses shifting before even they know which way they'll be moving -- Rondo simply knows their tendencies better than they do.

But Rondo also has a mercurial temper. He's sometimes too smart for his own good, getting angry when players don't grasp the game in the same manner he does. This is hardly an isolated frustration -- many of the NBA's legends have expressed similar situations of exasperation. Rondo isn't a legend, of course. He's a point guard who has carved out an excellent career and won a title, but the lack of a jump shot or ability to do things somebody else's way has held him back from ever exceeding that.

It's impossible to note every example Rondo has raised his voice in dissent, both because most situations happen behind closed doors and cannot be documented, and also very likely because there are too many instances in Rondo's career to count. But some of Rondo's past spats have been publicized, and here's an attempt to mention them all.

2006 and before

Rondo spent two years at Kentucky coached by Tubby Smith, averaging 25 minutes as a freshman and 31 the following year. But even then, he and his head coach butted heads. This is from an incredible Rondo profile by Baxter Holmes in the Boston Globe.

In reality, Smith never gave Rondo much authority at all, and the two clashed often, with Smith benching Rondo for six games.

Rondo clashed with other coaches, including Bibby, who said when they'd argue, Rondo would defend his decision on the court, and Bibby would counter with the fact that he could see what happened from the sideline.

Doug Bibby was his high school basketball coach and math teacher. He trusted Rondo and saw his knowledge enough to have him run part of the team's practice one year when Bibby's infant son was in ICU, and the team ran just as hard with Rondo in charge as they did with Bibby.

Rondo became Bibby's assistant, helping break down tape and develop game plans. He also confided to Bibby that, after his playing career is over, he wants to become a head coach.

But even in high school, Rondo clashed with Bibby on the court at the times. Once more from the Globe story:

"But Bib, I'm on the court, I feel the game because I'm playing," Rondo would say.

" ‘My insight is better than yours' - that's what he was basically telling me," Bibby said.

Joining the Big 3 in Boston

With Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Rondo was drafted by Boston in 2007 and won a championship the following year. His time then was relatively quiet, at least on the internet. With three future Hall of Famers around him, it seems Rondo mostly complied with what went on.

But after dislocating his elbow the previous game and returning anyway, Rondo was benched late in Game 4 in a playoff series against Miami. This was just days after he reportedly threw a water bottle through a TV during a film session.

During a video session between Games 2 and 3 of the Celtics' playoff series with the Heat last season, Rondo stood up to defended himself after having his errors pointed out by assistant coaches. Head coach Doc Rivers talked back at Rondo, who then threw a bottle that shattered the video screen.

Rebuilding with the Celtics

With Allen gone and Garnett and Pierce soon to be traded, Boston very publicly put Rondo on the trading block during the 2012-13 season. Rondo trade rumors were some of the most popular in the NBA that year, but he stayed put in Boston.

It was this season when Rondo's and Doc Rivers' relationship really soured, or at least public knowledge of it did. Doc Rivers left that offseason to coach the Clippers and some of that was attributed to Rondo.

Doc Rivers's "intense dislike" for Rajon Rondo is the primary reason the coach wants to leave the Boston Celtics, according to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com.

The feud between Rivers and his point guard led to an incident during a team meeting in the locker room in which Rondo cursed at Rivers, who responded by trying to fight Rondo before the "fracas" was broken up, a source close to the team told Sheridan.

Even when Brad Stevens arrived, the question was how he'd deal with Rondo. The two existed amicably, as best we can tell, respecting each other on a team looking to rebuild into a new identity. SB Nation's own Paul Flannery put it this way in 2013.

"There is no bigger fan of Rajon Rondo than me," Stevens said and of all the thousands of words that were said on Friday, none were more immediately important than those.

Ainge said he was "certain" that Rondo would be with the Celtics this season -- while allowing the requisite, "nothing in life is guaranteed" disclaimer -- and that "Brad really wants to coach Rondo."

Let's play this out a little more. Rondo is not a follower, which the previous era demanded. He's intelligent, quirky, competitive as hell and yes, difficult in the way that most intelligent people are difficult for the rest of the world to deal with on a regular basis. If this situation doesn't appeal to him, then there's a real question of what, exactly, would satisfy his professional needs.

The dilemma in Dallas

Rondo is no longer with a bottoming out Celtics team, but a championship-aspiring, veteran-fueled team in Dallas that is only looking to win.

Carlisle benched Rondo weeks ago, something he handled gracefully following the game.

"It was a coach's decision," Rondo said at the time. "Coach made the decision, it's as simple as that. I've been in this game for a long time. It's not like the end of the world. I like what coach Carlisle has done for me this year and I don't have any regrets."

The problem with this long history of conflict, some exaggerated and some more egregious, is that Rondo sometimes is right. As smart as he is, he often has good cause for speaking up against a head coach, regardless of whether it's his place to do so.

This is Rajon Rondo. This has always been Rajon Rondo. The Mavericks and Rick Carlisle knew who they were trading for when they dealt for him in December.

Past coaches and Rondo have combined to make things work on the court in the past. Now, Rajon and Rick must find a way to do it again.