NBA
The Reasons Behind the Ray Allen Drama
Tomorrow night, legendary shooting guard Ray Allen will be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Allen played for the Boston Celtics for 5 seasons, and was recognized as a member of their big 3. Futhermore, he was a key contributor of the team that would win the 2008 championship. During the 2012 offseason, Allen decided to sign a contract with the rival Miami Heat. Allen would become the Heat’s clutch shot maker while winning his 2nd NBA championship. Sham Charania of The Athletic interviewed Allen about his Hall of Fame induction. When Allen was asked if he thinks he will be commended by his ex-teammates, he said “I don’t expect to” receive congratulatory messages from former Boston teammates like Kevin Garnett or Rajon Rondo.”There will be praise for Allen from all corners of the NBA, however Allen expects his former teammates to be bitter.
“ As Years have gone on, things have been fractured, and I hate it. I hate seeing it” – Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics Head Coach 2004-2013)
Ray Allen’s departure was seen as the equivalent to Kevin Durant’s exit from Oklahoma City. He left his team dry and high on when they were just a win away from the finals. The Celtics believed they had a chance of competing for a championship the next year. This created a strong rift between Allen and his ex-teammates. Celtics legends Robert Parish and Doc Rivers have been outspoken about the situation. Doc Rivers has been quoted as saying, “I think he should be celebrated. I think he should be celebrated in Boston. He’s responsible for that banner. If I had one wish, I wish I could do a better job of getting that group back together.” Additionally, Rivers seems verbally frustrated and outright exhausted of this drama.
The Solution to the Problem
In recent years Ray Allen has been proactive in repairing his friendships. In fact, Allen admitted that his relationship with Paul Pierce has been resurrected after a meeting in 2017. This doesn’t mean that all of the players need to become buddies with Allen again, but they need to respect his career and what he did for Boston. The Celtics don’t defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 finals without Allen’s production. Frankly, they don’t even make it to the finals. Although, his time in Boston was brief, he left a legacy with his leadership and shooting. I expect Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo to take a page out of Piece’s book and congratulate their teammate on his incredible accomplishment.
Photo credit to The Jordan List via Flickr
