Former NBA star Rajon Rondo arrested in southern Indiana on drug, gun charges

JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU/WAVE/AP) - Two-time NBA champion Rajon Rondo is facing charges in southern Indiana after he was arrested there this past weekend.

According to our affiliate WAVE in Louisville, Ky., Rondo was arrested on Sunday on misdemeanor drug and gun charges following a traffic stop on I-65 in Jackson County.

Indiana State Police say they received reports of a 2022 Tesla driving recklessly on the interstate in Bartholomew County around 1 p.m. Sunday. Troopers saw the vehicle as it entered Jackson County and pulled it over.

Troopers say they smelled marijuana coming from the car. They searched it and found suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a gun.

Rondo was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on charges of possessing a firearm while being prohibited, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. A juvenile in Rondo’s vehicle at the time was released to a family member.

Rondo immediately paid a bond and was released. He has an initial court hearing scheduled for Feb. 27 in Jackson County Superior Court.

Rondo started his high school career in Louisville and returned to the state as a star guard with the Kentucky Wildcats. He was a first-round pick of the Phoenix Suns in 2006 and played 16 seasons in the NBA, winning championships in 2008 with the Boston Celtics and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to the Associated Press, Rondo was prohibited from carrying a gun because of a non-contact court order that was issued in August. It was the second protective order issued against him, with the initial one coming back in 2022 when a Louisville woman said Rondo became enraged and threatened her life.