While Ray Allen refuses to address the feud between himself and the 2012 Boston Celtics, former Heat teammate Udonis Haslem says Kevin Garnett and the Celtics have to let it go. The Miami Heat star spoke about the feud in a radio interview Friday where he defended his Heat teammate after the former Celtics core staged a reunion on TNT’s Area 21 without him.
The beef originates from Allen jumping to the rival Miami Heat in 2012 after the Celtics struggled to get past Miami in the postseason. Garnett and company spoke out about their bitterness in the way Allen left the team, something Allen was upset about, though he later said he was hacked. In any event, he refused to address it in a public appearance on Thursday.
Hasalem, however, was more than happy to speak up on Allen’s behalf in an appearance on The Joe Rose Show on WQAM in Miami.
“It’s not like the year before with Ray they beat us,” Haslem said of the Heat defeating Allen, Garnett and Pierce in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. “Put it this way, it wasn’t the similar situation to maybe Kevin Durant going to the team that beat him. It was, you got your ass whooped with Ray, and we got Ray and we whupped your ass again.”
Haslem defended Allen’s character multiple times during the interview, but also his decision to move from Boston to Miami in free agency. Allen got his second NBA title in the year after the move, fact the former Celtics weren’t shy about addressing earlier this week. Haslem wasn’t shy in his rebuttal, either.
“I mean, they got to let that go,” Haslem said. “I think when you get to a point where you’re a free agent, you have the opportunity to make the best decision for you. Quality of life: Boston, Miami? Ahh, you guys can figure that one out.
“I mean, and I understand, because at that time it was somewhat of a rivalry between us and Boston. But even when they had Ray we beat ’em. So it wasn’t like Ray came and helped us get over the edge.”
Haslem said multiple times that he loves and respects Allen as a player and a person, so it’s no wonder he came to bat for him when prompted.
“You’ll never hear me say anything bad about Ray,” Haslem said.
Still, saying the Celtics need to just let it go is far from a solution here. The only question that’s left now is which team has a former player commenting on the feud next.
