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Ray Allen, a two-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer, said he expected to hear boos from the fans when he attended Kevin Garnett’s jersey retirement Sunday in Boston.
Garnett and Paul Pierce and Allen, who led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship, had a broken relationship since Allen left for the Miami Heat.
On Thursday’s episode of the “Dan Patrick Show” on YouTube, Allen said:
“When I showed up, I think he was surprised. I know Kendrick Perkins was surprised that I was there. It was great to walk back in the building. And I don’t know how I was going to be received. I was assuming that some people would boo me because they still, you know, upset.
"But when I walked in, it was amazing, because everybody kinda cheered, and celebrated.”
Ray Allen says he expected to be booed at Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement
Ray Allen was the fifth overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft. He became the most prolific 3-point shooter in league history, with 2,973, until Steph Curry broke his record in December.
Allen was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007 after playing for the Seattle SuperSonics from 2003-07. There, Allen joined Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to form a Big Three that had immediate success, winning the 2008 NBA championship.
In his five seasons in Boston, Allen averaged 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Allen left the Celtics in 2012 to join the Miami Heat for two seasons. There, he won another championship. Allen made one of the most monumental shots in NBA history during the 2013 NBA Finals, tying Game 6 with a 3-pointer at 5.2 seconds remaining.
When Allen turned down a two-year deal from the Celtics in 2012 to join LeBron James in Miami, the Heat had just defeated Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. A rift grew between Garnett, Pierce and Allen. Garnett and Piece viewed Allen's departure to such a rival as a large betrayal, and the three never really rectified the situation.
Allen said:
“I don’t care what anybody says, I will always be a Celtic.”
With the rift never really having been addressed, Allen's appearance at Garnett’s jersey retirement was a big step.
As Allen said, he thought the arena was going to greet him with negativity. WIth him anticipating that reaction and still showing up for Garnett shows Allen truly believes he will always be a Celtic. The action shows that, even though Allen left the Celtics and broke up the Big Three, he still cherishes his time in Boston, and more specifically, his relationship with Garnett.
