Ray Allen is set to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Friday, tying a bow on a remarkable career that included a pair of titles and 10 All-Star game appearances.
But while Allen's enshrinement will be eternal, as will, apparently, the longstanding divide between him and several former colleagues - namely, those who played a pivotal role on the title-winning 2007-08 Boston Celtics.
Asked whether he anticipates receiving kudos from the likes of Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, Allen told The Athletic's Shams Charania: "No, I don’t expect to."
As Boston's dominance in the Eastern Conference began to crumble upon the ascendance of the juggernaut Miami Heat - starring the new "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh - Allen's decision to leave Boston to sign with their rival in 2012 evidently irked his former teammates.
Paul Pierce, the longest-tenured Celtic, has since worked out his differences with Allen.
"I talked to Paul a year ago today, and we patched it out," Allen said. "So much was made about my decision, and they were upset with me because I left for Miami. But it will never change what went on between us in 2008."
In any case, it appears that the ball is currently in Allen's court; if he wants to make up with the rest of his old teammates, he needs to be the one to get the ball rolling.
"At this point time, I don't think it's on anyone up here to break the ice. I actually think it's on Ray to break the ice," Kendrick Perkins explained on Garnett's "Area 21" show in May. "If Ray wants to make amends with anybody up here ... I think it's on him to reach out."
“It was more than basketball for us… It felt like a sour breakup.”
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk share their thoughts on Ray Allen. pic.twitter.com/8JYRWmxm0i
Speaking at an ABCD Hoop Dreams event Tuesday, the team's former coach, current Los Angeles Clippers bench boss Doc Rivers, lamented his inability to bring his former players together.
"I think he should be celebrated. I think he should be celebrated in Boston. He's responsible for that banner. If I had one wish, I wish I could do a better job of getting that group back together," Rivers said, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg. "I can get a lot of them back together; I just can't get the whole group. They really should be because they were so close, and it really hurts me to see what's going on."
