Ray Allen‘s decision to join the Miami Heat in the 2012 offseason was one of the more notable moves of that era. While he was a 37-year-old veteran at the time, acquiring such a proven sharpshooter for the defending champions was a marginal move that made the Heat even scarier.
However, what that move sparked in his former teammate on the Boston Celtics and one of the most passionate competitors in the NBA, Kevin Garnett, was vastly different. Joining a team you have been battling for years and rivaling was something that made Garnett cross Allen out of his life, despite building a bond and winning a championship together in 2008.
From Allen’s perspective, it was unfortunate, but something he couldn’t control; he could only laugh at it and take it for what it was.
“That’s a shame,” he said. “I’m a good person to talk to on the phone. … I’ve been in weird trade situations the last few years. You always felt you had one foot in and one foot out, so I can’t worry about it.”
“I don’t know how many miles apart we are; sometimes the translation gets messed up,” Ray added. “We’re friends regardless of what happens. He’s got to do what he’s got to do up in Boston.”
It was personal for KG
Allen passed up the opportunity to resign with the Celtics to join the Heat on a two-year, $6 million deal, which was rumored to be significantly lower than the offer his original team had made. That fact, coupled with his betrayal of his squad for the rivals, prompted Garnett to be quite blunt in his assessment of Allen and their relationship.
“I don’t have Ray’s number anymore,” he exclaimed. “I’m not trying to communicate. I’m just being honest with everybody in here. … It’s just what it is.”
With the NBA being the drama-filled soap opera it is, it scheduled the opening game of the 2012-13 season to be the Heat hosting the Celtics on ring night, capitalizing on the bad blood. Miami ran away with a 107-120 victory, with Allen scoring 19 points off the bench to outplay Garnett, who posted nine points and 12 rebounds in a disappointing Boston performance.
Ray-Ray’s new teammates welcomed him with open arms
While his former Celtics teammates hated him, Allen’s new Heat teammates couldn’t be happier about their latest acquisition.
Dwyane Wade defended Allen and said the only important thing is how the sweet-shooting guard is being talked about in his new franchise.
“(Garnett) doesn’t need to be talking to our team anyway, so it’s all good,” the Heat legend said. “(Allen) doesn’t look too bad in a Heat uniform. At first it was weird, but now I’m getting used to it.”
Well, Allen would win his second title in his first season with the Heat, playing a considerable role and hitting one of the biggest shots in NBA history during Game 6 of the 2013 Finals. The signing proved to be a jackpot, as the Celtics could only be jealous of what their former star brought to South Beach.
While the bad blood between Allen and Garnett existed for years, the pair reconciled in retirement and hashed it out, with Ray even being present at Kevin’s jersey retirement in Boston. Time heals all wounds, as they say.