Paul Pierce shares his feelings on infamous Ray Allen situation
Ray Allen, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics starred in one of the biggest NBA controversies in recent memory. After several years of battling against LeBron James-led teams, the legendary sharpshooter decided to join the King in South Beach after the 2011-12 NBA season.
Speaking on that infamous decision, Allen's former teammate Paul Pierce told Draymond Green how hurt he was after learning about his decision to join the Heat's Big Three.
"That hurt," Pierce said. "I didn't know he had issues with the contract or starting. But the thing is, I wanted you to holler. If you're gonna leave us, give me a call. Like, 'Look P, it ain't working out, they're not gonna give me the contract I want. They're not giving me the role I want, so I'ma go this route.'...I just didn't feel like there was a respect thing there."
Pierce admitted that he didn't run into Allen until after several years later. They played an exhibition game in China, which helped them squash their beef and move on.
The Celtics and Heat didn't clash in the postseason after that controversial move, but that didn't stop Boston fans from letting Allen know how betrayed they felt for many years.
Allen added another NBA championship to his resume in 2013, playing a key role in the thrilling Game 6 of the 2013 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The animosity between Allen and his former teammates ended in 2022 during Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement ceremony. Following several years of back-and-forth between the three Celtics legends, that's now part of the past, and their relationship seems to be as good as ever.
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