Ray joins the Heat/Ray Allen appreciation thread

[LobCityRondo2KG]

Great video.. We def took him for granted at times here.. I used to get so mad when he would lead a fast break and get stripped or throw up an ugly lay up attempt... Or he would try to create a play with a pass and get picked off.. He was such a clutch player for us and a tremendous addition for the Heat.. I wish him the best and wish he had stayed.. Time to move on but this one stings more than Damon or Vinateri..

[RajonRondo9dime]

Makes me soooo angry and sad.

I loved Ray so much. Defended him quite a bit over the years. One of my all time favorite players. Nothing pumped me up more than a clutch late in game 3 pointer from Ray Allen.. And there were so many of them.

Then he gives a big fu** you to the Celtics organization, and I can't help but feel a ton of anger towards him. 3 years, 27 million to stay in Boston, and only 3 years 9 to go to the rival? Sorry, I can't forgive him for that gesture.

[LobCityRondo2KG]

Was it 2/12 or 3/27?

[Roddy]

Who ?

[RajonRondo9dime]

Was it 2/12 or 3/27?

Celtics offered 2 and 12, but Ray countered with 3 and 27.. Then took 3 and 9 in Miami.

[bballcool34]

Was it 2/12 or 3/27?

It was 2/12 although reports say that we talked him down from 3/27 (which is just a ridiculous number in the first place)

[LightAzcura]

I still don't understand his decision. Players should never look at getting back at management.

I don't think it was Rondo still..players always have other players on their team they don't like or get along with. I think this is just Ray's way of "sticking it to the man", but it amazes me how often some players can't separate "the team" from "management". I don't think he realized in his vengeful actions that he was actually affecting his relationships with the players he "battled" with and being disloyal to them which is what he should ACTUALLY care about.

I just look at David Ortiz as an example of the opposite (kinda). That guys hates management and has even threatened to leave at one point I'm sure, but he has a loyalty to his teammates. Maybe he's a bad example but anyway..same with Garnett..he has slighted management more than once from what I remember, but his loyalty lies with the TEAM which matters more than his hate for management.

Antoine Walker freakin hated Danny Ainge but staying with the Celtics and playing with Pierce was more important to him than acting out in revenge. Ray just looks selfish, imo, but whatever I do hope we cheer him on by the time November rolls around.

Oh well.

[RajonRondo9dime]

That video got to me.

Ray should have retired a Celtic.

[FarFromBoston]

I shouldn't have watched that vid. All my anger is just real sadness and disappointment. **** didn't have to be this way. Dude should retire a Celtic.

How I wish he'd change his mind and just come back. I'd forget all about this. **** I sound like I'm blubbering over a female. Celtics do it to you though. Ray was/is in my top 5 fave players ever. Dude inspired me and kept me believing in the integrity and tradition of the sport all these years.

Change your mind, Ray! There's still time. Don't sign that paper!

This. I wish I didn't watch that video.

As mad as I am about him going to the Heat, if Danny somehow tried to reach out to him tonight and convinced him to change his mind I'd love it.

I don't know if that's possible or not though, but Ray's point has definitely been made.

[FlatearthZorro]

Exposed: Ray Allen Leaving Boston for Miami Reveals Allen for Phony He Always Was

Great article, thanks to the guy, who posted it, absolutely sums up everything I think of Ray... and I wrote it 2 times so far, he's fake and a phony.

[FlatearthZorro]

Quotes:

For a guy who is a ‘consummate professional’ and a ‘class act,’ Ray has left every team he has played for on a bad note, has had multiple issues with teammates (particularly in Milwaukee, and now with Rondo in Boston), clashed with an elite coach in George Karl, and leaked stories of his unhappiness when the Celtics were playing their basketball in the second half of the season in 2012.

is writer cannot remember the last player in any sport that jumped to a team that just knocked their team out of the post-season in one of the final two rounds. Oh, and they were wanted back by their own team.

For a competitor, how could one do such a thing? It’s one thing to have a falling out with management, coaching staff, and/or ownership and leave. But to then stab your teammates in the back that you went to war with over the last five years? To spit in the face of “the best fans in the league” (your words not mine, Ray) and leave for their most hated team this side of Los Angeles?

Forget Ray going to Miami. Does a ‘consummate professional’ lose his panties over nearly being traded? Does a ‘consummate professional’ begin whining to the media because of that?

Or does a ‘consummate professional’ do what Rajon Rondo did this past season? You know, the same Rajon Rondo that Ray Allen has supposed irreconcilable differences with. Which is, after a season full of trade rumors, trade rumors that many Celtics fans were hoping to be true by the way, go out and then play his best stretch of basketball of his career and be arguably the best player on a team that was a whisper away from the NBA Finals?

That’s right. So much for being a ‘class act’ and a ‘consummate professional.’

To be fair, I’ve known this about Ray Allen for the last two years. I’ve met Ray a few times now. He always gives you that phony nice guy act and the smile that comes with it. He’s not a jerk by any stretch of the imagination, far from it. He’s a deceiver. He’s a politician (fittingly, which is very possibly Ray Allen’s preferred career path after basketball.) Because of this, even as a Celtic, he became harder and harder to root for because I saw him as a phony.

Ray has never been a ‘class act’ (see: his ahem! friendship with a certain Massachusetts’ Senator’s daughter), nor a ‘consummate professional’ (see: his whining to the media over trade talk and teammates he doesn’t get along with), nor someone who is obsessed with accomplishing important goals (see: his golf rounds in between games of the 2010 NBA Finals when he was stinking up the joint – by the way, funny how the media never dug this stuff up on Ray, huh?).

The last few months have whitewashed everything we know about Ray as a person. His decision to leave Boston for their chief conference rival has deeply tarnished his legacy with yet another team. He’s the only one who lost anything in this saga.

When Ray comes back to Boston some months from now – don’t even boo. He’s not even worth your breath.

[RajonRondo9dime]

you hurt me Ray! You cut me deep!

[GuyClinch]

Haha..poor Ray. What do people think 'professional' means - you wear your heart on a sleeve and are incredibly loyal? Hell no - mercenaries are professional. Ray was a hired gun for us. Now he is one for Miami..That's what professionals do -they treat it like a job.

Not gonna lie - I never really loved the guy. He wasn't half the passer or ball handler he was made out to be...and I think he kinda road the coattails of Paul and KG. I hear stuff about how he was the best player on the C's for parts of the season. BS man - he might have been best shooter for few games - but he was never the best player here. Defense rebounding ball handling - come on didn't you just kinda cringe a bit when he tried to 'handle' the ball... All those aspects were mediocre.

OTOH - I think people are villanizing him way too much. Why is Jason Terry here? Cause Doc Rivers called him up and said WE NEED YOU. Guys want to feel wanted - he already has the money. Ray Allen wants to prove fans like me wrong and show he was key member of the big 3 - not just a guy who gets tossed in with them because of rep carved years ago.

[Berkcelt]

GuyClinch, I think you are probably right, in Ray's case professional = merc. But "class act" and "consummate professional" were the two phrases that went hand in hand when describing Ray, and to me the strong implication was a moral superiority, that Ray was above the fray. I think he made a lot of fans including myself look silly on that point; Ray also plays that up though, he's definitely going for that. After this he comes off as just another politician.

I'm sure there are a lot of people he wants to prove this and that too, but he's not going to prove much coming off our bench or Miami's. I think he's going to get more minutes down there though, that's probably one of his main justifications for leaving.

I figured he was part of "the family" which means implicitly you're needed, but I guess he felt disowned or whatever...which reminds me when I saw that Godfather photoshopped clip, something immediately looked off. I guess if you're for Miami that's seems right, but I think from a Celtics perspective, it's KG telling fRaydo "you broke my heart!" lol

[SCourGe OF GoD]

i just popped in to say whoever came up with Judas Shuttlesworth wins the internet lulz.

[NickPapagiorgio]

[GuyClinch]

But "class act" and "consummate professional" were the two phrases that went hand in hand when describing Ray, and to me the strong implication was a moral superiority, that Ray was above the fray. I think he made a lot of fans including myself look silly on that point; Ray also plays that up though, he's definitely going for that. After this he comes off as just another politician.

I think you and other fans are reading this entirely wrong. And that piece was a pretty awful hit piece that was in fact entirely nonsensical.

1. Consumate professional does not imply team loyalty It's quite the opposite. It implies a guy who will do his job 100% properly for any team that hires him. It implies a guy that will DIVORCE himself from the particular situation and team.

Ray is the kind of guy that could score 20 points for the Celtics - get traded to the Lakers and score 20 points the next day. He is the kind of guy that could score 20 points in a summer league game. That's what consumate professionals do - their job. Which is for Ray - score 3 point buckets for the team that employs him without emotional attachement.

The idea that consumate professional = incredibly loyal player is nonsensical. It's irrational. Tommy Heinsohn bleeds green. I have grown to like Tommy he is fun - but you wouldn't call him a consumate proffessional as a broadcaster. Its quite the opposite he displays the kind of enthusiasm for the Celtics that would be far more closely associated with a high school or college program..

2. A class act does not imply any sort of loyal connection to the team. Again its about adhereing to personal code of conduct. Which includes - work really hard, show up for practice on time. say all the right things in news conferences and don't bad mouth the team you are on.

Guys who are NOT class acts would include our friend Ricky Davis (who I seriously liked and I suspect Danny Ainge did too) a guy who amazingly managed to party away his talent. (Haha) And another guy we almost acquired - Allen Iverson who gave his opposite of classy 'practice speech. (Which of course was absolutely hilarious). I might add that Paul Pierces humourous (in my view anyway) little bandage skit wasn't particularly classy or professional. And Rondo's pouting about Perkins wasn't classy or professional..

Both Rondo and Pierce are probably alot more attached to the idea of being a Celtic - since its all they have been and are considerably less 'professional' IMHO. I also happen to like them a bit more. You know when Rondo got fired up and pushed that ref. That's not classy or professional - but I liked him more. And I won't even really go into KG - crawling on the floor to mock guys. Hilarious. But not classy or professional..

Turns out that fans don't really like consumate professionals and class acts as much as they say they do. That's all we can say about this little incident IMHO. IThey want guys who bleed green but don't whine about being traded (which seems hypocritical). Now I don't particularly care that Ray is gone because i think Ray the player was hugely overrated by the time he got to the Celtics. He almost cost us several series in our championship run...

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

He almost cost us several series in our championship run...

1st round vs Atlanta, 2008, immediately pops into my head. I can see Doc yelling "Come on Ray!" after getting lit up by Joe Johnson on yet another iso play.

The Heat are holding a press conference at 10:00 AM to introduce Ray. Should be real interesting to hear what he says.

[Celts17Pride]

Exposed: Ray Allen Leaving Boston for Miami Reveals Allen for Phony He Always Was

Great article, thanks to the guy, who posted it, absolutely sums up everything I think of Ray... and I wrote it 2 times so far, he's fake and a phony.

Let's see what kind of crap Ray Allen is going to be trying to dish the Boston Celtics fans way today during his press conference. I still say Ray Allen is a phony, sellout, ring chaser. If you can't beat them then join them.

[humblebum]

But "class act" and "consummate professional" were the two phrases that went hand in hand when describing Ray, and to me the strong implication was a moral superiority, that Ray was above the fray. I think he made a lot of fans including myself look silly on that point; Ray also plays that up though, he's definitely going for that. After this he comes off as just another politician.

I think you and other fans are reading this entirely wrong. And that piece was a pretty awful hit piece that was in fact entirely nonsensical.

1. Consumate professional does not imply team loyalty It's quite the opposite. It implies a guy who will do his job 100% properly for any team that hires him. It implies a guy that will DIVORCE himself from the particular situation and team.

Ray is the kind of guy that could score 20 points for the Celtics - get traded to the Lakers and score 20 points the next day. He is the kind of guy that could score 20 points in a summer league game. That's what consumate professionals do - their job. Which is for Ray - score 3 point buckets for the team that employs him without emotional attachement.

The idea that consumate professional = incredibly loyal player is nonsensical. It's irrational. Tommy Heinsohn bleeds green. I have grown to like Tommy he is fun - but you wouldn't call him a consumate proffessional as a broadcaster. Its quite the opposite he displays the kind of enthusiasm for the Celtics that would be far more closely associated with a high school or college program..

2. A class act does not imply any sort of loyal connection to the team. Again its about adhereing to personal code of conduct. Which includes - work really hard, show up for practice on time. say all the right things in news conferences and don't bad mouth the team you are on.

Guys who are NOT class acts would include our friend Ricky Davis (who I seriously liked and I suspect Danny Ainge did too) a guy who amazingly managed to party away his talent. (Haha) And another guy we almost acquired - Allen Iverson who gave his opposite of classy 'practice speech. (Which of course was absolutely hilarious). I might add that Paul Pierces humourous (in my view anyway) little bandage skit wasn't particularly classy or professional. And Rondo's pouting about Perkins wasn't classy or professional..

Both Rondo and Pierce are probably alot more attached to the idea of being a Celtic - since its all they have been and are considerably less 'professional' IMHO. I also happen to like them a bit more. You know when Rondo got fired up and pushed that ref. That's not classy or professional - but I liked him more. And I won't even really go into KG - crawling on the floor to mock guys. Hilarious. But not classy or professional..

Turns out that fans don't really like consumate professionals and class acts as much as they say they do. That's all we can say about this little incident IMHO. IThey want guys who bleed green but don't whine about being traded (which seems hypocritical). Now I don't particularly care that Ray is gone because i think Ray the player was hugely overrated by the time he got to the Celtics. He almost cost us several series in our championship run...

Pete I hear you man but what Ray pulled is absolutely a "stab in the back." I know he felt slighted and he has a right, as a "consumate professional" i.e. mercenary, to "take his talents" where ever he wants. But "South Beach?" Come on, son, you KNOW that's doing the Celtics legacy dirty. It's a direct slap in the face as Celtics Nation. Wyc knows what up.

It's like Yo Ray we respect you as a player and all but you're a punk and a traitor so we have to put a whoooopin on your moisturized, polished, soft, ugly pass making, khaki wearin, stone washed, bald headed, fake, trick ask behind.

But after that we'll go hit the links together and chill. Ray is cool. Ray is Ray. But he's not going to get love from Boston. Come on man, let's be real.