WALTHAMRajon Rondo is about as forward looking a player as you'll find on the Boston Celtics roster.
But there are some things from the past that aren't quite so easy to forget which is part of the reason why there's still a considerable buzz surrounding the late-game flagrant foul Rondo committed on Miami's Dwyane Wade during Boston's 120-107 loss on Tuesday.
Wade drove to the basket when Rondo came across and grabbed at Wade's neck which resulted in Rondo being whistled for a flagrant foul.
The C's seemed willing to move on from the incident until they were told after the game that Wade called it a "punk play".
"I don't think it was a hard foul," Rondo said on Thursday. "He (Wade) sold it a little bit, and that's basketball. They were up. He drove to the hole and I didn't want to give up a lay-up. It's as simple as that."
Rondo added, "I didn't come down, or dirty plays that you've seen him play in the past. That's what it is."
It's not a total surprise that Rondo took offense to Wade's comment when you consider the history between these two.
During the 2011 Eastern Conference semi-finals, Wade and Rondo got tangled in Game 3 with the end result being Rondo suffering a dislocated left elbow.
In Game 2 of that series, Rondo had a driving lay-up attempt in which the replay showed Wade fouling him across the face. No call was made and Miami went on to win the game in overtime.
A double technical foul was called on both players when they began jawing with one another in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last year.
C's coach Doc Rivers has said little about the incident, preferring to instead focus on the C's home opener on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
But Rivers admits after seeing the play up close, he was surprised that Wade - who is from the Chicago area just like Rivers - was so bothered by it.
"I didn't think it was that hard," Rivers told CSNNE.com. "My thought was, Wade, I know where he grew up. I thought he was tougher than that."