The Boston Celtics had all the stars align in 2007 and created one of the first legit super teams of the modern era. They didn’t draft all of their guys, they didn’t sign a guy and he became a better team. They straight up traded for two NBA All-Stars, one was an NBA MVP and the other is quite possibly the best shooter of all-time. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett went to the C’s to join Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins and they wanted one thing. A championship.
The veteran All-Star trio were all riding their peak in 2007 and won a title in 2008. But injuries, production decline and LeBron James’ move to the Miami Heat to form a superteam of his own ended their run at the top a little earlier than they wanted. Two NBA Finals appearances in three years and five straight NBA playoffs run into at least the second round is nothing to frown at but as 2012 approached, decisions had to be made.
Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen all began to decline in 2012 but the only one who had a real successor in place was Allen. The young ‘three and D’ swingman Avery Bradley was waiting in the wings and the Celtics let Ray Allen test free agency in the summer of 2012. Boston offered him a two-year, $12 million deal but Allen rejected it and accepted a two-year offer from the Miami Heat at a cheaper price.
But Allen’s departure from the team rubbed some of the members of that Boston Celtics team the wrong way and they spoke about it last night on KG’s Area 21 show on TNT. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis spoke on the issue between the champions.
C's in the building!
BIG Thanks to @paulpierce34, @RajonRondo, @iambigbaby11, @KendrickPerkins & Sam Cassell for hanging in #KGArea21! ??? pic.twitter.com/ByjNZYNrTj
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
“It was more than basketball for us… It felt like a sour breakup.”
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk share their thoughts on Ray Allen. pic.twitter.com/8JYRWmxm0i
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Big Baby, Perk, Pierce, Rondo & KG caught up with the #InsidetheNBA crew to talk #NBAPlayoffs & more! @MyStraightTalk pic.twitter.com/2s56d7beqZ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Ray Allen took to Facebook and apparently responded to the chatter from last night in a now deleted post.
Looks like Ray Allen saw the conversation last night pic.twitter.com/NVLqCcrR7p
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 9, 2017
Avery Bradley spoke to the media and said that it was great to see all the 2008 guys back together but he does hope those guys reconcile their differences.
Avery Bradley hopes the 2008 Celtics and Ray Allen mend fences eventually. pic.twitter.com/6w303v1ky5
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 9, 2017
