In July, Rajon Rondo and his girlfriend got into a heated exchange with a woman in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Things got tense after Rondo confronted the woman about parking so close to his Rolls Royce, which was parked in the handicapped spot. In the lawsuit filed by the woman, Toktam Jorshari, she claims things escalated after Rondo “nudged” her, which prompted his girlfriend to intervene by punching the woman.
TMZ has since obtained surveillance video from the complex parking lot and seems to corroborate Jorshari’s claims. “In the NBA, unnecessary and excessive contact is considered a Flagrant 2 foul, which can result in a fine, ejection and possible suspension of a player,” said Jorshari’s attorneys, Eddie Tehrani & Arnold Gross from State Law Firm. “Outside the NBA, such conduct is considered an assault and battery. No man should ever put their hands on a woman, ESPECIALLY an NBA basketball player with superior height and strength. The video speaks for itself.”
Rondo’s attorney Mark. D. Baute, issued a lengthy statement in response. “Mr. Rondo tried to separate them and keep them away from each other; he did not push anyone,” “I saw the videotape in July, during the first Covid surge. Rajon Rondo had a broken thumb in a cast at the time, and his vehicle was correctly parked in a handicapped spot while he was picking up his girlfriend.”
“The plaintiff chose to park her car two inches from Mr. Rondo’s door, and the plaintiff was not in an assigned parking spot,” Baute said. “The plaintiff refused to wear a mask during a short 30-second encounter, and also refused to move her car. The plaintiff and Mr. Rondo’s girlfriend had an unpleasant encounter that lasted roughly 10 seconds, and Mr. Rondo tried to prevent them from any further interaction, which was awkward due to (a) his thumb being broken, and (b) the plaintiff not wearing a mask.”
“The plaintiff then left on her own, hired a lawyer, filed a lawsuit, and we have chosen to offer nothing, pay nothing and to defend the case on the merits, and win. The focus in July was on winning another championship with the Lakers. The focus now is on playing the best possible basketball for the Atlanta Hawks,” Baute concluded.
Jorshari claims to have suffered several injuries resultant from the altercation and is suing the couple for assault and battery. She also claims to be dealing with emotional distress and is seeking damages in excess of $1 million.
