BOSTON — Ray Allen looked in great shape as he stood at the far end of the Celtics‘ locker room late Tuesday night. He has always appeared thus.
But there was the further removal of an emotional weight evident earlier as he joined Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and other franchise legends for the 2024 championship celebration. He was even more at ease, knowing he could expect only affection from the crowd and teammates who had once shunned him for departing to the Heat in the summer of 2012.
He didn’t have to wonder as he did in years prior. Leaving as a free agent a month and two days after the Celtics lost Game 7 of the conference final to their Heat-ed rival, there was more anger than disappointment in his wake.
Pierce said it felt like a betrayal. Garnett said, “You went to the one team you knew that we was beefin’ with.”
It took the better part of a decade for the waters to calm fully within the trio that came together to sew the 2008 title banner that hangs above the parquet. Sadly, they acknowledged the passing of Kobe Bryant and the deaths of so many others from Covid as factors in the peace process.
The “we ain’t cool with what you did” cold war ended in most public fashion on March 13, 2022 at Garnett’s number retirement. KG, most vocal for years about his issues with Allen taking his talents to Miami, sat at center court in the Garden during the ceremony and digressed. He said he was happy to see Allen, who rose and walked out for an embrace with his former teammate. Pierce joined them a few moments later. Group hug. Relief.
‘Time Has Passed’
There were no such concerns for Allen Tuesday as he got introduced on the walk out to the court for the festivities. And he looked at home in the dressing room that had undergone a serious renovation and reconfiguration since he last played here. He chatted with the New Guys and greeted a reporter with golf talk. Somewhere in the middle of laughing at how age has affected the level of clubs that need to be played now, it was decided that maybe we should discuss how he’s able to feel so good here again.
“I think, for the most part, time has passed, and it’s that idea of thought that as you age, you make amends with your past follies and you forgive old enemies,” Allen told Heavy Sports. “And I’m at the age now where I don’t want to have any issues with anybody, because I just want to live life and be happy.”
That’s what he wanted, too, in 2012. He wasn’t pleased the Celtics had dangled him in trade talks. It insulted his sensitivities and caused him to pull away. But the follies he mentioned had a little something to do with the timing and, more importantly, the destination.
The Celts had a 3-2 lead in the aforementioned series, but LeBron James and Dwyane Wade came back to cancel Boston’s ticket to the NBA Finals. Feelings were raw in the aftermath.
Celtics Fans Hold on to 2008
It took time, some selective amnesia and, largely, a focus on the good stuff to rekindle the commonality. Ray Allen is certainly grateful for all of that.
“You know, when you win a championship, that’s a forever thing,” he said. “And to be able to come here and to celebrate and sit courtside with Paul and Kevin … we talked game all day. The whole game, we talked about things we did, players we played against, teams we played against. That’s what it’s all about.
“You know, when you look up there, that’s something we did. When you win, you say nobody could ever take that from us, and we’ll remember this for the rest of our lives. You get to walk in here and just be celebrated.”
It’s big for those doing the celebrating beyond the stage, too.
“I think more than anything, it’s for the fans,” Allen said. “Because when you look at a group like, say, Boyz II Men, one guy went, but everybody wants to see that original group together. People selfishly want to go back to those days and remember them for what they were and what they brought to them.
“You know, me, Kevin and Paul — this is 2008. So for us to be here today and celebrate and make the kind of transition to where we are now, I think it’s a fan moment that I would have loved to see. I was glad it was able to take place.”
Ray Allen Wants to ‘Live Unencumbered’
It was suggested, as well, that the passage of time can lead to greater understanding of what’s important — and what isn’t.
“Yeah, that’s a HUGE part of it,” Allen agreed. “I go back through my life, and I try to figure out all the ways that I could make right the wrongs of the past, the relationships. You know, certain people I move away from, I don’t need in my life. But I don’t want to feel like I have resentment for anything, because life is too short, and I’ve seen too many people pass (away). Like, what are you holdin’ on to grudges for?
“I want to be able to live unencumbered and happy and go anywhere. I like to think that I can get along with anybody. I know I can. I’ll be 50 (next July), and you get to that point where you’re like, I’m just happy to be alive and healthy and have the people in my life that I do.”
That the number of those people again includes some former teammates has made Ray Allen’s life lighter. And it shows.
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Ray Allen Opens Up on Celtics Grudges, Forgiveness & ‘Living Life’