Last season, there were several members of the Boston Celtics who ripped Ray Allen for opting to sign with the Miami Heat during the summer of 2012. Specifically, Kevin Garnett revealed that he had lost Allen's phone number (and did this to him during the first Celtics/Heat game of the season) and Paul Pierce told the media that he hadn't forgiven Allen for leaving. But now that both Garnett and Pierce have left Boston behind and joined the Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James thinks that both of them owe Allen an apology. Even though they left Boston under different circumstances—they were traded to the Nets, while Allen joined the Heat through free agency—James doesn't see a big difference.
"The first thing I thought was, 'Wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston and now these guys are leaving Boston,'" James said, while preparing to play the Nets in a preseason game tonight. "I think it's OK, I didn't mind it. But there were a couple guys who basically [expletive] on Ray for leaving and now they're leaving. That's the nature of our business, man. I don't know what Boston was going through at the end of the day. I know Ray had to make the best decision for him and his family and his career. Doc [Rivers], KG, and Paul did that as well. You can't criticize someone who does something that's best for their family."
As we said, Garnett and Pierce did leave the Celtics under way different circumstances. So we don't know if LeBron's argument holds up here. But regardless of how he feels, it'll be interesting to see Garnett, Pierce, and Allen on the same floor again tonight. Let's hope they've all moved in and dap one another up before the game tips off.
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[via ESPN]
