OT: KG, Pierce, Rondo, Perkins, & Big Baby Speak on Ray

[UCDaveD]

Ray responds

 

[Northbound]

It's a well known fact that Ray keeps to himself. He's not a hang out with guys guy. It's a part of Ray's personality that has rubbed former teammates the wrong way. I remember Pierce and KG complaining that they would go to a Ray charity event and then he wouldn't show up at theirs. I think they're sore that he wasn't part of the group off the court as much as him leaving the team. Whatever. He was a big part of winning another title so kudos to Ray. Loyalty in the NBA. Uh huh. And heated rivalries? I think that ended when LBJ, Wade, CP3 and Carmelo were spotted on a water weanie together. Could you imagine Bird, McHale, Magic and Worthy enjoying weanie rides together back in the day.

True, they use to joke that off the court Sam Cassell was the 3rd member of the Big Three.
On the other hand Bird and McHake were never close.

And the Magic/Bird Celtics and Lakers didn't all hate each other.

 

[Waquoit]

These guys are wrong. The Celtics didn't want him anymore. Doc bailed and no one gave him crap.

 

[intlzncster]

LeBron James begs to differ

Hitting a big shot, and believe me, that was big, does not make you a super star. See Robert Horry. On that Miami team, there were two in Wade and Lebron.

 

[InKembaITrust]

I'm on Pierce and KGs side with this argument, but why publicly bring it to light this way. Seems like a personal slight that should be handled behind closed doors. That's where the teenage girl comparison is coming from...Ray could have handled it differently, but these guys could have as well.

 

[intlzncster]

Ray didn't handle it in the best way. But these clowns have been dogging him publicly for years about it. He's handled it with class by taking the high road. He owes these guys nothing. Especially clownface big nobodies like Perkins, Davis, and Rondo. Garnett and Pierce are just attention who'res.

Last thing I'd call Pierce.

 

[intlzncster]

Loyalty in the NBA. Uh huh. And heated rivalries? I think that ended when LBJ, Wade, CP3 and Carmelo were spotted on a water weanie together. Could you imagine Bird, McHale, Magic and Worthy enjoying weanie rides together back in the day.

Probably the most symbolic representation of the change in NBA culture ever. And absolutely f!@#king preposterous/hilarious.

 

[intlzncster]

You misread, or I wasn't clear. I didn't include him as being average.

You called him a clownfaced big nobody.

 

[HuskyFich]

Ray is getting the same type of hate that LeBron got for the decision. They hold him accountable for going to the Heat (rival?) to win a championship...
Paul Pierce and KG left to go to Brooklyn for money. Also, Ray was closer to the end of his career than Pierce or KG were, so there should be no animosity for that.
They're just salty. It's tough to win a 'ship without a tie to UConn.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Seems pretty simple to see both sides in the wrong, Ray for not contacting his teammates in person (understandable from UConn fan's perspective b/c we know Ray is aloof or socially awkward) and petty for the others for holding a grudge for so long. To me the one act by Ray so long ago is trumped by the continual berating and harping on this by Rondo, KG, Pierce and others, but I still think the onus is on Ray to be the bigger man and apologize - simply b/c those guys have a group think about it, have proven that they are going to keep holding a grudge and lastly Ray has more to lose by not apologizing.

Ray can apologize and still have the public higher ground of being the bigger man via an apology when at least some will say he didn't need to. I think he should do that with Pierce and Garnett.

Problem is Rondo and him truly hate each other and that apology is likely never happening plus those guys picking Rondo's side further divides. Rondo wisely didn't speak in that segment because he knows his vitrol for Ray would come off very poorly - so Rondo can keep the grudge and stay somewhat on the perceived right side of public perception. So the stalemate persists.

 

[Excalibur]

Seems pretty simple to see both sides in the wrong, Ray for not contacting his teammates in person (understandable from UConn fan's perspective b/c we know Ray is aloof or socially awkward) and petty for the others for holding a grudge for so long. To me the one act by Ray so long ago is trumped by the continual berating and harping on this by Rondo, KG, Pierce and others, but I still think the onus is on Ray to be the bigger man and apologize - simply b/c those guys have a group think about it, have proven that they are going to keep holding a grudge and lastly Ray has more to lose by not apologizing.

Ray can apologize and still have the public higher ground of being the bigger man via an apology when at least some will say he didn't need to. I think he should do that with Pierce and Garnett.

Problem is Rondo and him truly hate each other and that apology is likely never happening plus those guys picking Rondo's side further divides. Rondo wisely didn't speak in that segment because he knows his vitrol for Ray would come off very poorly - so Rondo can keep the grudge and stay somewhat on the perceived right side of public perception. So the stalemate persists.

I'm sure polycom won't find this post "objective" enough . . .

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

You called him a clownfaced big nobody.

That was me. I called him that because that's what he is. In the grand scheme of all time NBA PG's he's a big fat nobody. As for the clownface reference? Ask every one of his former and current team.

 

[Mr. French]

I get the feeling of "you couldn't have called?"

But really, a bunch of smaller details don't get discussed out front, so it's just "dude left our squad for our rivals and never even called!"

How about the guy who sacrificed shots and all that? The Rondo disputes (I'm not in the know, but Rondo doesn't have the most sterling rep in these areas), the constant trade rumors, and best of all, the idea that this core of players was past its prime and Ray was closer to the end (as @HuskyFich points out) leads to the question, "was he REALLY in the wrong for leaving that way?"

 

[UConnfan8]

Hitting a big shot, and believe me, that was big, does not make you a super star. See Robert Horry. On that Miami team, there were two in Wade and Lebron.

Your right, Ray isn't a superstar. Haha...just holds the record for most 3's made of all time, considered the greatest shooter of all time, 1st ballot HoF, top 25 player of all time (IMO) but yeah...hes not a superstar. You're a joke bro.

 

[Excalibur]

Your right, Ray isn't a superstar. Haha...just holds the record for most 3's made of all time, considered the greatest shooter of all time, 1st ballot HoF, top 25 player of all time (IMO) but yeah...hes not a superstar. You're a joke bro.

By that point in his career, he wasn't a superstar anymore. But he certainly was when he joined the Celtics (and for the first few years), and nobody gave up more to make that team work than he did.

 

[JSM1970]

Top 25 player of all time? Huh, that's absurd.

Steph will break the 3 and shoots a much better % and Klay has a chance to too

But I agree, he's absolutely a 1st ballot HOFer

Your right, Ray isn't a superstar. Haha...just holds the record for most 3's made of all time, considered the greatest shooter of all time, 1st ballot HoF, top 25 player of all time (IMO) but yeah...hes not a superstar. You're a joke bro.

 

[champs99and04]

I agree with Russillo that him calling to tell them wouldn't have changed anything. I think there is a tendency to make things more complicated than they have to be in these situations - break-ups are about as fundamentally hurtful as it gets and oftentimes the search to dignify them is futile.

By the same rate, though, the "his feelings got hurt" is an all too convenient way to normalize insensitive behavior. So what if that's the case? "Hurt feelings" are from the same rotation as "political correctness" in that they seek to trivialize the source of the conflict when it doesn't really matter. If "hurt feelings" means "something that was really special to us ended abruptly and I'm upset about it" then I don't see what the problem is.

Ultimately, I think he left for three reasons:

1. He was losing minutes to Bradley

2. He hated Rondo

3. The idea of playing with LeBron sounded really fun

I don't really think there is a need to make meaning of it beyond that. I can understand why Ray did what he did and I can understand why they're upset. It ended up working out better for one party than the other and that's probably why one is still complaining about it and the other isn't. It's just not really worth arguing about beyond that, IMO.

 

[Scoe]

Good for Ray those guys. Pierce, KG and Rondo holding a grudge is somewhat understandable, but Perk and Big Baby really need to grow up those guys rode the coat tails of KG.

 

[Scoe]

...The Boneyard proves again we have an inability to be objective.

Go to a Celtics board then if you wanna hear the other angle.

 

[traitor71]

You called him a clownfaced big nobody.

Clownfaced maybe, I could see that. Not my words though.

 

[boog204]

Actually their amalgamation as the first "Big 3" completely changed professional basketball. Agree with everything else

But they weren't even close to being the "first" big 3. I mean the C's themselves traded for McHale and Parish to surround Bird in the 80s; Rodman, Pippen, Jordan; Jabbar, Worthy, Magic; Duncan, Parker, Ginobli, Admiral... Hell, the Lakers a few years prior to the C's put together Payton, Malone, Shaq, and Kobe in what was supposed to be some sort of super team. Granted two of them were long past their prime but...

 

[Robertelamin]

Top 25 player of all time? Huh, that's absurd.

Steph will break the 3 and shoots a much better % and Klay has a chance to too

But I agree, he's absolutely a 1st ballot HOFer

You've showed a lot of restraint. I would have guessed you hated all of them for being in a union.

 

[billythekid]

I've got no issue with them not inviting Ray to their private vacation celebration. They shouldn't be forced to hang out with anyone they don't want to. But to not include Ray as part of an on-air reunion of that championship team seems childish on their part. Ray was a major part of that team's success and I can't see how they can hold a celebration without including him.

 

[SubbaBub]

Yeah, how didn't Ray want to continue to associate with these guys. They're the very definition of warmth. It boggles the mind.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Who gives a sheet about the collective feelings of a bunch of millionaires who masquerade a as a dynasty but only won 1 title?

Ray left, who cares?