George Karl slams Ray Allen while discussing today's Milwaukee Bucks: 'He was a traitor and a bad teammate'

Why bring up Allen?

Some might wonder why the former Coach of the Year had to attack Allen when the arguments should have revolved around the current Bucks squad. That's because a Milwaukee-based reporter reminded George of his role in the organization's decision to trade Ray in the middle of the 2002-03 season. In return, the franchise got a package headlined by Gary Payton, who left in the following offseason.

In his typical peevish way, George diverted the topic by saying that a small-market team's fan base should be grateful it was able to secure a championship in 2021. When another user called out the longtime coach's lack of accountability and penchant for alienating stars, Karl thought it was a good idea to throw Allen under the bus instead of accepting at least some of the blame.

It appears the 73-year-old Hall of Famer continues to hold a grudge, which isn't surprising. On the other hand, Allen has opted not to waste his time or energy talking about his former coach.

Harsh words from "Furious George"

Still, Karl's statement may be uncalled for, although that might have stemmed from the feud between Allen and former Bucks teammates Glen Robinson and Sam Cassell.

Led by that Big 3, Milwaukee was a win away from reaching the 2001 Finals but couldn't overcome Allen Iverson, the Philadelphia 76ers, and probably the referees in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Bucks were unable to carry the momentum in the following campaign, though, missing the 2002 playoffs despite the addition of Anthony Mason in the previous offseason. Plenty of hurdles beset the team, including Allen's thorny relationship with the other stars.

The two-time champion agreed with the notion that Milwaukee played selfishly in the 2001-02 campaign, which didn't sit well with Robinson and Cassell. Karl also spoke ill of "Big Dog" at the time, so he and Allen seemed to have seen eye to eye in at least one concern. Funnily enough, it didn't take long for the coach-star duo to experience a deterioration in their relationship.