Ray did a good job screwing the team over

[Onslaught]

  While I agree with most of what you said, telling your current employer you'll stay there if they vastly overpay you is being a jerk. There's no way around that. Also, under these circumstances, acting like you're torn about whether to leave or not is a bit disengenuous.

+1

Did Ray leave the Celtics team in a bad position, snub his Celtics teammates and fans? Unequivocally yes.

Did he do what he believed to be the best for himself? Yes

Move on guys, he gave us 5 good years. Cheer him the first time he comes back to the Garden and hope he is not a productive member of the cHeat

Always thought it was really classy of Drew Bledsoe to take out a full page ad in Boston Globe thanking the New England fans when he left. Don't think that has been repeated by any other athlete......

No, he doesn't deserve to get cheered. I hope he gets boo'd straight out of the garden.

I hope not. I'd rather the fans not make any sounds at all and the Garden is a quiet as a church when his name is called.

[Interceptor]

Well, I'm not sure it was that outrageous to him. It's basically close to what KG got right? If the big 3 were all equally important parts of a machine, why is only ray taking the huge pay cut?

I'm not apologizing for him, but see it through his eyes.

My point was that there was some amount of money for which he would sign, which undermines the idea that this was some kind of principled stand, or whatever other non-money way that one could classify his reasoning. He has a price, and we know this because it came from the man himself.

Whether the money was outrageous is a different story. FWIW, KG took a pay cut, and so will Pierce when his time is up if he wants to stay. And again: Ray is not accepting 3y/27m from Brand X, or anything even remotely close to it. Does this mean that his ego is worth $18 million? Minus tax savings and better golfing opportunities?

We don't know a whole lot, but we know enough. We know he left a pile of money on the table. We know (well, maybe strongly suspect) that they threw in a no-trade clause as a final offer, something that only Kobe and Dirk have, in a league with 400+ players. We know he made a demand that would have screwed the Celtics even more than his leaving would have, had they accepted, and you have to believe that he knew it. We know that Doc Rivers is disappointed/doesn't agree with the decision.

It's one thing to move on, it's something else entirely to stick it to your team on the way out. I think that last absurd demand betrayed Allen's REAL motivations.

While I agree with most of what you said, telling your current employer you'll stay there if they vastly overpay you is being a jerk. There's no way around that. Also, under these circumstances, acting like you're torn about whether to leave or not is a bit disengenuous.

^ This guy gets it.

[angryguy77]

It's not that he left, it's the why and how he left that i think most are peeved at.

He wasn't a starter for us which he wasn't happy about. He then left for a team where he will have the same role.

He was offered more money. He took less to play off the bench which he said was a role he didn't like.

He was angry about how the team didn't show him as much love as KG and PP got. He left for a team that has Wade and James-enough said.

He didn't like rondo. He left to play with 2 guys that will treat you like dirt if you don't make the right play. I can't wait to see how James and Wade will react to Ray's patented TO on a fast break, or if he takes the last shot.

I understand he's angry about being almost traded, but does he really think the Heat won't dump him if they can improve?  

He wanted the team to be loyal to him, but he showed no loyalty to KG and the rest by going to the team that is our biggest obstacle to overcome in getting to the Finals.

He went to the heat for one reason, to screw the Celtics and show them they were making a mistake by not valuing him more. It's his right to do so, but we as fans can call him for what he is-a merc.

It would have been one thing if the C's were not trying to stay relevant and win, or if he was going to be a starter.

Make no mistake, we witnessed an adult temper tantrum from a guy we all thought was above such behavior.

I hope he fails and fails big time.  
 

[All Star Matt Clement]

  While I agree with most of what you said, telling your current employer you'll stay there if they vastly overpay you is being a jerk. There's no way around that. Also, under these circumstances, acting like you're torn about whether to leave or not is a bit disengenuous.

why doesn't he deserved to be cheered? he gave us his all for the last 5 years. I'm annoyed and angry as much as the next guy by his choice, but ultimately it was his choice to make.  Stars eventually leave Boston. See Martinez, Pedro, Damon, Johnny, etc

+1

Did Ray leave the Celtics team in a bad position, snub his Celtics teammates and fans? Unequivocally yes.

Did he do what he believed to be the best for himself? Yes

Move on guys, he gave us 5 good years. Cheer him the first time he comes back to the Garden and hope he is not a productive member of the cHeat

Always thought it was really classy of Drew Bledsoe to take out a full page ad in Boston Globe thanking the New England fans when he left. Don't think that has been repeated by any other athlete......

No, he doesn't deserve to get cheered. I hope he gets boo'd straight out of the garden.

why doesn't he deserve to be cheered? he gave us 5 good years and then left. are players not allowed to leave? i'm as irritated and disappointed as much as the next guy with his decision, but ultimately it was his choice to make. is his legacy in Boston tainted now since he left for our most hated rival in the conference? unquestionably.  maybe he was disingenuous in his negotiations with the celtics as well knowing that he was going to leave regardless, but he didn't leave for more money and it came down to not feeling wanted and perhaps chemistry with Rondo