Shockingly, there seems to be a disconnect when it comes to hotel room standards between average people and an NBA player who has made more than $100 million over a 14-year career.
Rajon Rondo is learning this in the wake of his recent Instagram story post in which he expressed apparent displeasure with his hotel room upon arrival at the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla.
Rondo, who is in his second year with the Lakers, called the room a Motel 6 and planted a middle finger emoji in the photo.
Rajon Rondo doesn’t seem pleased with his Orlando room. pic.twitter.com/hjwB2g0tk8
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 9, 2020
MORE: Twitter trashes the food in the NBA bubble
The 22 teams invited to the 2019-20 NBA season's resumption in Orlando are staying in three different hotels — the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, the Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club — at Walt Disney World. Because they are a top four seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers are staying at the Gran Destino Tower, supposedly the best of the three hotels.
The hotel's site is not taking reservations while the NBA occupies its space during the COVID-19 pandemic, but as of last summer, the rates at the Gran Destino Tower ranged from $265 plus tax per night for a standard view room to $977 plus tax per night for a one-bedroom suite with club access.
This is to say it is far from a Motel 6, a chain of affordable hotels that, by the way, did not seem to take offense to Rondo's jab.
We'll always leave the light on for him. 😉
— Motel 6 (@motel6) July 9, 2020
The same can't be said about others who saw Rondo's post and could not fathom how somebody would complain about what appears to be a totally fine hotel room. Below are some of their responses.
Rondo just inadvertently telling us we’re broke https://t.co/yK60dX1fO5
— Seerat Sohi (@seeratsohi) July 9, 2020
It’s clearly been a LONG time since rajon rondo stayed in a motel 6
— Boogie Bousins (@bansky) July 9, 2020
Everybody please pray for Rajon Rondo. Nothing’s wrong with him he’s just slumming it in a nice hotel room. https://t.co/MKqyzhxT3K
— Steve Benko (@SteveBenko) July 9, 2020
Or the tens of millions of people who might be evicted by the end of the month. Cmon, Rondo, have some perspective.
— Braden Gall (@BradenGall) July 9, 2020
Bad look for Rondo
— Mike Ryan (Ruiz) (@MichaelRyanRuiz) July 9, 2020
Rajon Rondo's like, "Motel 6." pic.twitter.com/lqImjVKkat
— Adam Crowley (@_adamcrowley) July 9, 2020
The NBA will resume play July 30 with a doubleheader featuring the Jazz vs. Pelicans and Clippers vs. Lakers. The latest possible date for a Game 7 of the NBA Finals will be Oct. 13.
"Seeding games" will be played through Aug. 14, and a play-in tournament will be held Aug. 15-16 if necessary with the first round of the playoffs starting Aug. 17. The NBA Finals will begin Sept. 30.