Cowardly news: Should the Boston Celtics retire a key player who undervalues the head coach of the team?
As the Boston Celtics announced before the All-Star Weekend that they will retire the No. 5 jersey of Kevin Garnett next season, two of the Big 3 that helped the Celtics win the 2008 NBA Championship, KG and Paul Pierce, will see their jerseys hang from the rafters at the TD Garden. Now the question is, will the third member of the Big 3, Ray Allen, have his No. 20 jersey retired by the Celtics?
Allen joined the Celtics in the 2007 summer and averaged 16.7 points per game in 358 games. Last year, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Currently, Allen still leads the NBA career 3-point scoring leaderboard by draining 2,973 triples. If it weren’t for Stephen Curry, Allen would be the greatest shooter in NBA history.
Ray Allen, Ken Garnett, and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics attend the championship-winning parade in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 19, 2008. /VCG
The Celtics, which have won a league-high 17 NBA Championships, surely have a high standard for jersey retirement, but there are still 22, which is also league-high. Legends see their numbers raised to the TD Garden rafters. Soon, Garnett will make the 23rd. The honors under Allen’s name should be enough to make him the 24th.
Nonetheless, the remarks by Danny Ainge, president of basketball operations for the Celtics, increased the uncertainty of the matter. Having appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” on Wednesday, Ainge said though he “no longer holds any grudge against Allen… that’s not the exact same feeling of everybody in the organization.”
Ray Allen #20 and Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics talk in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 23, 2012. /VCG
Ainge is referring to Allen’s summer 2012 departure to join the Miami Heat. The team was going through a difficult time at the time. After a year together, the team realized they needed to adjust their style of play. After several attempts to trade Allen, Ainge offered him a two-year, $12 million contract. Doc Rivers, the coach, preferred that Allen come off the bench. Rajon Rondo and Allen’s disagreement was essentially made public.
Allen ultimately made the decision to leave Boston and sign with Miami, the team that had eliminated Boston from the playoffs a few months prior. A number of Boston’s star players, including Pierce and Garnett, publicly declared their friendship with Allen to be over.
