Ray Allen had kind words for the Boston Celtic teammates he's been at odds with ever since his departure in 2012. As you may have heard, the Basketball Hall of Fame earmarked a spot within its walls for the former Boston Celtics guard.
Last night, Ray Allen passed inspection for real, with a heartfelt induction speech before a crowd of several thousand guests. Allen reserved the highest praise for his childhood idol: Michael Jordan "I wanted to be like Mike growing up."
He rated Reggie Miller the greatest shooter of all-time, above himself. He even showed sentimental regard (not regret) for the plight of his ex-teammates, the 2008 NBA Title squad, save for Rajon Rondo whom he's cited on the record as the primary reason for his departure in 2012.
In the days leading up to his induction ceremony, Ray Allen reopened old wounds, citing that Rajon Rondo failed to pass him the ball in key situations, especially in the twilight years of the Celtics "dynasty." Allen was quoted by NBC Sports as saying: "There were parts throughout the season where I was starting to feel this type of resentment toward me on the floor. Other people would tell me at first, and I would ignore it, because I don’t like people getting into my team business, because this is my teammate. But people would always say, 'He (Rondo) looks you off. When you come off a screen, he sees you and he doesn’t pass you the ball when you’re open."
But on the night of the ceremony, Allen barely muttered Rondo's name, choosing instead to highlight the accomplishments of his other teammates, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. "In my 12th year, I paired up with a couple of Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett," Allen said in his speech. "Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I'd end up on that (title) stage."
In all fairness, he had every right to lead the discussion whichever way he saw fit. Congrats on the well deserved honor Mr. Shuttlesworth.