Ray Allen's message in the Boston Globe

[kozlodoev]

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

No-one buys this, because everyone knows his family resided in CT, and he has hinted multiple times about hoping not to have to uproot them.

[indeedproceed]

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

No-one buys this, because everyone knows his family resided in CT, and he has hinted multiple times about hoping not to have to uproot them.

I buy it. Miami is nice.

[Chris]

I don't know why Ray took the trade rumors as personal. Besides, it's not like Ainge was trading Ray to the bottom-dwellers of the league like Charlotte or Cleveland. He would've been playing in Memphis...the 4th best team in the West.

I don't necessarily think he took them that personally.  I think they just took him as indisputable evidence that the C's didn't have an inordinate amount of loyalty to him that they wouldn't trade him if it helped the team.  Considering how much I think he valued security at this point in his career, I think that is why he left.

[nickagneta]

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

No-one buys this, because everyone knows his family resided in CT, and he has hinted multiple times about hoping not to have to uproot them.

My family lives in Boston and I just uprooted some of them and moved to Tampa for a better quality of life. And I'm not even a multimillionaire who could do it with as little complications and problems because of the money.

I'm buying it and everyone else should to.

[kozlodoev]

I don't know why Ray took the trade rumors as personal. Besides, it's not like Ainge was trading Ray to the bottom-dwellers of the league like Charlotte or Cleveland. He would've been playing in Memphis...the 4th best team in the West.

I don't necessarily think he took them that personally.  I think they just took him as indisputable evidence that the C's didn't have an inordinate amount of loyalty to him that they wouldn't trade him if it helped the team.  Considering how much I think he valued security at this point in his career, I think that is why he left.

So his idea of security is taking a 1+1 in Miami? Sure... 

[kozlodoev]

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

No-one buys this, because everyone knows his family resided in CT, and he has hinted multiple times about hoping not to have to uproot them.

My family lives in Boston and I just uprooted some of them and moved to Tampa for a better quality of life. And I'm not even a multimillionaire who could do it with as little complications and problems because of the money.

That's, of course, completely irrelevant, because you're not Ray Allen.

Ray Allen (not you, not me, not IP) was widely believed to have a desire to keep his family in CT and stay close.

[Onslaught]

I don't know why Ray took the trade rumors as personal. Besides, it's not like Ainge was trading Ray to the bottom-dwellers of the league like Charlotte or Cleveland. He would've been playing in Memphis...the 4th best team in the West.

I don't necessarily think he took them that personally.  I think they just took him as indisputable evidence that the C's didn't have an inordinate amount of loyalty to him that they wouldn't trade him if it helped the team.  Considering how much I think he valued security at this point in his career, I think that is why he left.

So his idea of security is taking a 1+1 in Miami? Sure... 

He probably believes he'll help them a great deal and won't have a problem staying whit them. He's probably correct too.

[Onslaught]

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

No-one buys this, because everyone knows his family resided in CT, and he has hinted multiple times about hoping not to have to uproot them.

My family lives in Boston and I just uprooted some of them and moved to Tampa for a better quality of life. And I'm not even a multimillionaire who could do it with as little complications and problems because of the money.

That's, of course, completely irrelevant, because you're not Ray Allen.

Ray Allen (not you, not me, not IP) was widely believed to have a desire to keep his family in CT and stay close.

That's what people said. Turns out not to be true. That's his call not ours.

[kozlodoev]

That's what people said. Turns out not to be true. That's his call not ours.

What offer he'll accept is entirely his call. I just refuse to be fed processed garbage about the reasons.

[indeedproceed]

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

No-one buys this, because everyone knows his family resided in CT, and he has hinted multiple times about hoping not to have to uproot them.

My family lives in Boston and I just uprooted some of them and moved to Tampa for a better quality of life. And I'm not even a multimillionaire who could do it with as little complications and problems because of the money.

That's, of course, completely irrelevant, because you're not Ray Allen.

Ray Allen (not you, not me, not IP) was widely believed to have a desire to keep his family in CT and stay close.

Yeah but Ray Allen (not you, not me, not Whoopie Goldberg, not Kirk Cameron, not Six from the TV show Blossom, not the cubs fan who caught that ball that one time and everyone hated him..) alone knows his mind, and he changed it. You gonna hate him for deciding one thing he used to think was best for his family he now believed different?

[kozlodoev]

Yeah but Ray Allen (not you, not me, not Whoopie Goldberg, not Kirk Cameron, not Six from the TV show Blossom, not the cubs fan who caught that ball that one time and everyone hated him..) alone knows his mind, and he changed it. You gonna hate him for deciding one thing he used to think was best for his family he now believed different?

That's the point, despite multiple posters trying to convince everyone that "Ray Allen did what he thought was best for his family", all I see is indication that Ray Allen went to Miami despite what may have been best for his family.

Ray Allen did whatever was he thought was best for Ray Allen -- which may or may not have included family considerations, his hate for Rondo, his desire to stick it to the Celtics for showing "no loyalty", and his desire to ride LeBron's coattails to the finals. I'm not sure why people would assume out everything but the first possibility. 

[indeedproceed]

Yeah but Ray Allen (not you, not me, not Whoopie Goldberg, not Kirk Cameron, not Six from the TV show Blossom, not the cubs fan who caught that ball that one time and everyone hated him..) alone knows his mind, and he changed it. You gonna hate him for deciding one thing he used to think was best for his family he now believed different?

That's the point, despite multiple posters trying to convince everyone that "Ray Allen did what he thought was best for his family", all I see is indication that Ray Allen went to Miami despite what may have been best for his family.

Ray Allen did whatever was he thought was best for Ray Allen -- which may or may not have included family considerations, his hate for Rondo, his desire to stick it to the Celtics for showing "no loyalty", and his desire to ride LeBron's coattails to the finals. I'm not sure why people would assume out everything but the first possibility. 

Please show me direct quotes from Ray Allen that show he actually hated Rondo, or would ever do anything he thought wasn't in his family's best interests. In fact show me one quote direct from Ray Allen that shows that his decision had anything to do with 'sticking' it to anyone.

Cuz they don't exist. His past behavior, his actions, words, pictograms, they all show a guy who is professional, considerate, and passionate about basketball.

Now that he makes a decision you (by this I mean the 'royal' you, as in everyone) don't agree with, that all goes out the window? I don't see the grounds for it at all.

[BballTim]

Yeah but Ray Allen (not you, not me, not Whoopie Goldberg, not Kirk Cameron, not Six from the TV show Blossom, not the cubs fan who caught that ball that one time and everyone hated him..) alone knows his mind, and he changed it. You gonna hate him for deciding one thing he used to think was best for his family he now believed different?

That's the point, despite multiple posters trying to convince everyone that "Ray Allen did what he thought was best for his family", all I see is indication that Ray Allen went to Miami despite what may have been best for his family.

Ray Allen did whatever was he thought was best for Ray Allen -- which may or may not have included family considerations, his hate for Rondo, his desire to stick it to the Celtics for showing "no loyalty", and his desire to ride LeBron's coattails to the finals. I'm not sure why people would assume out everything but the first possibility. 

Please show me direct quotes from Ray Allen that show he actually hated Rondo, or would ever do anything he thought wasn't in his family's best interests. In fact show me one quote direct from Ray Allen that shows that his decision had anything to do with 'sticking' it to anyone.

Cuz they don't exist. His past behavior, his actions, words, pictograms, they all show a guy who is professional, considerate, and passionate about basketball.

Now that he makes a decision you (by this I mean the 'royal' you, as in everyone) don't agree with, that all goes out the window? I don't see the grounds for it at all.

  You've got to admit Doc's comments about feeling that Ray was upset that the Celts made KG a priority over Ray in the offseason upset him is a little [dang]ing.

[Interceptor]

Last time I checked he was hitting huge three point shots to tie games and win games for the Celtics when the chips were down.

In the past, although his latest move was leaving both money + security on the table for a new jersey with his old number on it.

He did EXACTLY what he said he would do. Hesaid he would sign his next contract based on his and his family's needs.

Let's review, based on what we know:

- 2 years, 6 million a year in Boston: not adequate for his and his family's needs
- 2 years, 6 million a year in Boston, maybe a no-trade or a trade kicker: not adequate for his and his family's needs
- 1 + 1 years, 3 million a year in Miami: adequate for his and his family's needs, evidenced by fact that this is where he wound up ultimately.
- 3 years, 9 million a year in Boston: ostensibly adequate for his and his family's needs, since the offer came from him.

Bullet #4 is the sticky wicket. The only difference on the surface is the money and the years. Was it the money? Was it the extra year? Was it a false rumor, one repeated by the owner? It bothers me.

He's made $178 million in his career. Add on endorsement money and his kids' kids should never have to work a day in their lives. Money wasn't the issue.

He wanted a better quality of life for him and his family and he thought he could get that in Miami. Perhaps his inner circle isn't saying anything because they support his decision?

Doc Rivers, supporting the heck out of Ray Allen:

When asked if he agreed with Allen’s reasons for signing with Miami, Rivers said, “No. But that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what I think. I just wish we could have found a way [to keep him] and we didn’t. I’ll always put [the blame] on us, that’s easier.”

Of course, Doc is biased. But! It's possible that Allen is fine with getting beat on, and has a reason too personal to share publicly, or he is too much of a professional to air his dirty laundry.

And because this is possible, this means that I am wrong.

If you are mad because he went left and went to the Heat, that's understandable. But just that. This whole "Ray said this and did the opposite" or "Ray bad mouthed the Celtics" or any of this other stuff people are saying just isn't true and are not valid reasons to be angry with the guy.

How do you know? I find it kind of amazing that I get raked over the coals for suggesting that something is possible, but you get to assert for free that it's untrue.

[indeedproceed]

Yeah but Ray Allen (not you, not me, not Whoopie Goldberg, not Kirk Cameron, not Six from the TV show Blossom, not the cubs fan who caught that ball that one time and everyone hated him..) alone knows his mind, and he changed it. You gonna hate him for deciding one thing he used to think was best for his family he now believed different?

That's the point, despite multiple posters trying to convince everyone that "Ray Allen did what he thought was best for his family", all I see is indication that Ray Allen went to Miami despite what may have been best for his family.

Ray Allen did whatever was he thought was best for Ray Allen -- which may or may not have included family considerations, his hate for Rondo, his desire to stick it to the Celtics for showing "no loyalty", and his desire to ride LeBron's coattails to the finals. I'm not sure why people would assume out everything but the first possibility. 

Please show me direct quotes from Ray Allen that show he actually hated Rondo, or would ever do anything he thought wasn't in his family's best interests. In fact show me one quote direct from Ray Allen that shows that his decision had anything to do with 'sticking' it to anyone.

Cuz they don't exist. His past behavior, his actions, words, pictograms, they all show a guy who is professional, considerate, and passionate about basketball.

Now that he makes a decision you (by this I mean the 'royal' you, as in everyone) don't agree with, that all goes out the window? I don't see the grounds for it at all.

  You've got to admit Doc's comments about feeling that Ray was upset that the Celts made KG a priority over Ray in the offseason upset him is a little [dang]ing.

Depends what you mean by danging. As in, does it prove that Ray was dissatisfied with the Celtics and how he was treated? I think it definitely supports that notion. Doc saying "I think Ray..." (which is how I remember it) is hardly anything other than speculation though.

But is it danging as in it proves Ray Allen went to the heat to make us and the Celtics organization mad? I think that's completely unsupportable.