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Ray says....

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Must admit, I have been HOPING Ray would retire after this season. Hate to see him go out LIKE THAT! Hindsight is 20/20, but if he'd retired at the end of last season, he would have gone out on top of the basketball world, a hero after that shot in game 6.
 
selles said:
I think Ray's defenders would be quite happy to stipulate that it is a business and that business decisions were made on all sides. This isn't 1950 pro sports any more.

The post attacking Ray above and triggering the onslaught was: "Ray turned on us first. Never forget that. I love Ray. But Ray left Boston for the enemy."

Maybe if people would stop saying stuff like that which utterly refuses to acknowledge that it is in fact a business, people wouldn't feel the need to defend Ray so vigorously.
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Exactly. The personal vendetta that Boston sports fans have against the guy declining to re-sign with a team that had been desperately trying to trade him is unreal. For Boston sports fans, loyalty is a one-way street.
 
selles said:
I think Ray's defenders would be quite happy to stipulate that it is a business and that business decisions were made on all sides. This isn't 1950 pro sports any more.

The post attacking Ray above and triggering the onslaught was: "Ray turned on us first. Never forget that. I love Ray. But Ray left Boston for the enemy."

Maybe if people would stop saying stuff like that which utterly refuses to acknowledge that it is in fact a business, people wouldn't feel the need to defend Ray so vigorously.
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There's also the general tone of personal offense (Ray DITCHED US) as if he owes some fat slob on a couch a fulfillment of some fantasy where a first ballot HOFer somehow "belongs" to Boston. You saw a resurgence of it after Ray hit the shot in Game 6. That shot eclipsed whatever he did in Boston, and that will now be "the moment" that characterizes Ray's career; that is, his greatness is now associated more with the Heat than with the Celtics (real or perceived), over which Boston fans turn in to crying children.
 
Rocktheworld said:
There's also the general tone of personal offense (Ray DITCHED US) as if he owes some fat slob on a couch a fulfillment of some fantasy where a first ballot HOFer somehow "belongs" to Boston. You saw a resurgence of it after Ray hit the shot in Game 6. That shot eclipsed whatever he did in Boston, and that will now be "the moment" that characterizes Ray's career; that is, his greatness is now associated more with the Heat than with the Celtics (real or perceived), over which Boston fans turn in to crying children.
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Brilliant piece of armchair psychoanalysis. But it's really no different than the Ray defenders who get their panties twisted about how mean the Celtics were to Ray by trying to move him.

I'm a Celtics fan. I'm a UConn fan. Frankly, I didn't lose much sleep over Ray leaving because he seemed pretty washed up at the time and I knew whatever the Big Three had was pretty much done anyway. I'm happy for him that he got those additional rings he was chasing, and I hope he finds some place else to land and win a couple more. I understand why a guy at the tail end of his career would go hunting for titles, and I understand why a team would try to move a guy that they felt was on the downslope. That's just how it goes.

What I don't get is why people on here deify him like he's off limits for criticism. He's just a man like anybody else.
 
BigErnMcCracken said:
Brilliant piece of armchair psychoanalysis. But it's really no different than the Ray defenders who get their panties twisted about how mean the Celtics were to Ray by trying to move him.
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You're missing the point again here. The issue isn't that the Celtics were "mean" in trying to trade Ray (they were just stupid). The issue is that the team tried to trade him, and when he chose to sign elsewhere, fans turned on him and acted like he'd betrayed them. The team is certainly within it's rights to trade anyone, but Boston fans are notorious for discarding players when convenient and trying to destroy everyone who leaves voluntarily (also many players who leave involuntarily).
 
CallMeBruce said:
You're missing the point again here. The issue isn't that the Celtics were "mean" in trying to trade Ray (they were just stupid). The issue is that the team tried to trade him, and when he chose to sign elsewhere, fans turned on him and acted like he'd betrayed them. The team is certainly within it's rights to trade anyone, but Boston fans are notorious for discarding players when convenient and trying to destroy everyone who leaves voluntarily (also many players who leave involuntarily).
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I agree with your point, except I wouldn't even go so far as to call the Celtics stupid. That group had run its course, and Ray wasn't providing as much value on a team that didn't have anyone left to draw defenders. Nobody double-teamed Pierce or Garnett any more, and nobody was going to help off Ray on Rondo's drives. They needed another shot creator - I actually thought Terry was a better fit than Ray for their current nucleus and thought that was a good pickup (since he could fill Ray's shooter role, and could also still create a little bit off the bounce), although getting someone younger would have been even smarter.

Personally, I was hoping Ray would go to the Clips but they got Crawford before Ray could even meet with them, so that well dried up. That left the Heat as his best option basketball-wise. And most Celtics fans fell in love with Avery Bradley anyway, so it wasn't like they were clamoring to keep Ray around. It was only when he left that many had a bit of a snit, but I think they mostly got over it as well. He wasn't going to make any difference on that C's team he left at age 37.
 
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What I find funny is this idea that Ray left for the Celtics' "biggest rival." I thought that was the Lakers. Or maybe the Knicks? No, it's the Heat, but the Celtics had only one series against the Heat, which apparently turned them into the biggest rivals ever. But wait, it's about LeBron and all those Cavs series. So Ray was not allowed to go wherever LeBron went, or something.
Understand that non-Celtics fans find this bewildering.
 
Inyatkin said:
What I find funny is this idea that Ray left for the Celtics' "biggest rival." I thought that was the Lakers. Or maybe the Knicks? No, it's the Heat, but the Celtics had only one series against the Heat, which apparently turned them into the biggest rivals ever. But wait, it's about LeBron and all those Cavs series. So Ray was not allowed to go wherever LeBron went, or something.
Understand that non-Celtics fans find this bewildering.
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The Celtics played the Heat in a playoff series in 2010, 2011, and 2012. In 2011 and 2012, the Heat had LeBron. In 2010, the Celtics played LeBron's Cavaliers in addition to Wade's Heat. The fact that neither team could beat Boston helped spur the formation of Miami's Big 3. Both Wade and LeBron have said multiple times that they consider the Celtics to be the team they measured themselves by. There's a history there, and yeah, a rivalry.

I don't think you know what you're talking about.
 
amory said:
The Celtics played the Heat in a playoff series in 2010, 2011, and 2012. In 2011 and 2012, the Heat had LeBron. In 2010, the Celtics played LeBron's Cavaliers in addition to Wade's Heat. The fact that neither team could beat Boston helped spur the formation of Miami's Big 3. Both Wade and LeBron have said multiple times that they consider the Celtics to be the team they measured themselves by. There's a history there, and yeah, a rivalry.

I don't think you know what you're talking about.
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My bad, two series, not one with LeBron. It still seems way blown out of proportion, but again, I'm not a Celtics fan.
 
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Gurleyman said:
It was only when he left that many had a bit of a snit, but I think they mostly got over it as well.
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Are you reading the same internet as the rest of us? Any article or post on almost any public site (ESPN, SI, Bleacher Report, NY Post, whatever) that mentions Ray in a positive light draws out the Celtics commenters spewing vile.
 
Sprague03 said:
Cavs clearing space for Lebron and Ray Allen tandem!!
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I'll feel so bad for Bazz.

No way Ray signs with the Cavs before LeBron, despite rumblings in the media.
 
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I'm only a mild Celtics fan, but if you are on this board as a diehard UCONN, and you don't like Ray, there might be something wrong with you.

Besides, Ray help deliver a ship to Boston. And got out when they were just about over the hill.
 
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BigErnMcCracken said:
Brilliant piece of armchair psychoanalysis. But it's really no different than the Ray defenders who get their panties twisted about how mean the Celtics were to Ray by trying to move him.

I'm a Celtics fan. I'm a UConn fan. Frankly, I didn't lose much sleep over Ray leaving because he seemed pretty washed up at the time and I knew whatever the Big Three had was pretty much done anyway. I'm happy for him that he got those additional rings he was chasing, and I hope he finds some place else to land and win a couple more. I understand why a guy at the tail end of his career would go hunting for titles, and I understand why a team would try to move a guy that they felt was on the downslope. That's just how it goes.

What I don't get is why people on here deify him like he's off limits for criticism. He's just a man like anybody else.
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He shouldn't be subject to criticism for disloyalty because he did not re-sign with the Celtics, not because he is a deity, but because that criticism defies logic and makes sense only to Celtics fans.
 
I think Ray is going to get some grief if it goes down this way.
A. Ray is absolutely riding LeBron's coattails. It is the smart move just as it was when he left the Celtics, but because it is a 'chasing rings' move (someone explain to me why this is bad?!) he'll be criticized for lack of loyalty to Miami (counter is he took less money to play there, why should he owe them anything) and for being a gun for hire (he is, again why is that bad).

B. He's a locker-room 'lawyer' (this was a criticism of Ray in George Karl Bucks days, since then the narrative has shifted to Ray's professionalism, preparation and work ethic but it could shift back). Suddenly now he's besties with LeBron instead of Bosh and Wade... this could result in Ray being scapegoated for cementing the idea of return to Cleveland in LeBron's head or at least making it possible.

I'm hoping this all comes true though. Miami big 3 has run its course, it'd be really interesting from a basketball and story perspective for LeBron to go back to Cleveland. Nonetheless it still might be a year or two away and more likely that LeBron re-ups with Miami for 1-2yrs with opt outs.
 
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Dogdeacon said:
B. He's a locker-room 'lawyer' (this was a criticism of Ray in George Karl Bucks days, since then the narrative has shifted to Ray's professionalism, preparation and work ethic but it could shift back). Suddenly now he's besties with LeBron instead of Bosh and Wade... this could result in Ray being scapegoated for cementing the idea of return to Cleveland in LeBron's head or at least making it possible.
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That George Karl thing was BS. Ray's been doing the exact same thing for 19 years now. The guy is nothing but dogmatic.

Also, maybe he's "besties" with LeBron because he likes him more than Bosh and Wade?
 
Ray opens up the floor for Lebron and they like each other. Ray isn't riding his coattails, he is just playing basketball with a great player and person in LeBron and enjoying himself.

If Ray wants to chase titles he can just call San Antonio and see if they are interested at $1,000,000 per year. They probably are.
 
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