Boston Celtics : Ray Allen To Miami Heat, Who Is At Fault?
Former Boston Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen recently left the team to sign with the newly crowned NBA champion Miami Heat. Allen, who was an unrestricted free agent, had the right to sign with any team of his choosing.
Considered arguably the greatest shooter of all time, Allen makes the Heat and even stronger team than last season’s team. Allen will be the beneficiary of many open looks due to the penetration ability of Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.
One of the biggest reasons that Allen took less money to sign with Miami appears to be his friction with Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo can certainly be a tough person to work every day with due to his desire to do things his own way and a number of personality issues that has even led to a damaged relationship with Duke and USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Allen seemed to be fed up with Rondo and speculation continues to be that he was arguably one of the biggest reasons Allen departed. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, while doing TV work for the Olympics, was recently reported as saying it was his fault that Allen left.
He said he was the one that gave Rondo the keys to the team and if there was anyone to blame for the situation, it certainly isn’t Rondo’s.
I will be neutral in this scenario and say that no one is to blame for Allen’s departure. He is a grown man and is capable of making his own decisions. He must have simply felt that his best chance to win another ring was in South Beach. An NBA player simply does not leave a city that he is known to admire just because of a rift with a teammate.
The one surprising part to his departure is the amount of extra money he turned down in Boston. The Celtics offered $3 million a year more than the Heat’s offer. That just shows that Allen wanted one last ring before his career comes to an end. Arguably one of the most respected players in the league, did what he felt was the best move for both himself and his family. In the end, he made his own decision.
Rob Lunder covers the Boston Celtics for Rant Sports. For all Celtics news, check out the Boston Celtics homepage on Rant Sports.
