Rajon Rondo is unhappy with being mentioned in Ray Allen‘s new book, From the Outside: My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love. In an excerpt from the book, Allen recalls Rondo telling Boston’s big three that he led them to that NBA Championship in 2008. He also mentions how Rondo was supposed to be traded to New Orleans in exchange for NBA superstar Chris Paul.
“Obviously, that man is hurting,” Rondo told the Boston Globe about Ray Allen. “I don’t know if it’s financially, I don’t know if it’s mentally. He wants to stay relevant. I am who I am. I don’t try to be something I’m not. I can’t say the same for him. He just wants attention.”
In 2008, The Boston Celtics big three, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen helped reclaim the city’s glory after beating their cross-country rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers in a 4-2 series victory. Everyone knew the big three was a threat, but what wasn’t expected was the output from the young point guard from the University of Kentucky, Rajon Rondo.
Rondo’s slick passing, lock down defending and ability to run the Doc Rivers coached offense made Rondo a star on this Boston team. After re-appearing in the finals in 2010 but this time losing to the Lakers, and with the now aging team, things began to change.
As the Miami Heat became the next legacy champions with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh leading the charge in the Eastern Conference, Ray Allen jumped ship from a still competitive Boston Celtics team and joined the Miami Heat in what Rondo and many others saw as a show of disloyalty and lack of competitiveness.
The Miami Heat went on to win the next two NBA Finals with Ray Allen putting the epic dagger in Game 6 of the San Antonio Spurs series which forced a game 7.
Although Rondo, currently on the New Orleans Pelicans, claims he moved on from his issues with Ray, he never forgave him. Ray Allen was noticeably absent from Paul Pierce‘s jersey retirement ceremony at TD Garden last month. He did offer his congratulations to Pierce, but instead of showing up was reportedly golfing. This just shows the strains that Ray’s 2012 departure may have had on his relationship with the 2008 Celtics team despite being forever linked together as NBA champions.
