The 2008 Boston Celtics team that won the NBA championship fielded a remarkable cast of superstars, adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to form a “Big Three” with Paul Pierce; around the same time, Rajon Rondo took a sudden leap in his development and became a star in his own right.
It was good times for that team for a long time, until Allen’s defection to the LeBron James-era Miami Heat ended things abruptly — a betrayal that has never really been forgiven by his Celtics teammates.
Even as Allen prepares for his Hall of Fame induction on Friday, former Celtics coach Doc Rivers laments the rift that has formed between Allen and his teammates.
“I think [Allen] 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. I can get a lot of them back together; I just can't get the whole group. They really should be because they were so close, and it really hurts me to see what's going on.” —Doc Rivers
According to ESPN, Allen and Paul Pierce talked last summer, but that made little headway into repairing relations overall. Rivers pointed to Rondo and Garnett’s competitiveness as a reason that the grudge has stood for so long.
In an additional report by The Athletic, Allen expressed that he didn’t expect to get any congratulations from his Celtics teammates on his Hall of Fame induction. It’s a sad state of affairs for any fans of their championship run, but sometimes, the business of sports has to collide with the personal.
Joining Allen in the Hall of Fame this year will be Grant Hill, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash — which Canadians were particularly happy to hear.
h/t ESPN
