Former Boston Celtics’ stars from the 2008 championship team have been at odds for years, yet an end to their feud seems to be in sight. After throwing shots at each other over the years, two of the central figures in the Celtics’ kerfuffle (courtesy of SB Nation ) seems to have made peace with one another.
That 2007-08 Boston Celtics were led by Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. There were other standouts on the Celtics as well, including Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins. Each player took turns in creating iconic moments for the Boston Celtics. Also, each of them will have a place in Celtics’ lore despite being at odds for the past nine years.
Over the course of their time together with the Celtics it was easy to sense a brotherhood amongst them. It was their strong bond which catapulted the Celtics over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals.
The bond between the former Boston Celtics’ stars began to fizzle over the course of a few years. One of the most publicized rifts the Celtics took place between Celtics’ Head Coach Doc Rivers and point guard Rajon Rondo. It all came to a head in the middle of the 2011-12 NBA season as trade rumors began swirling around members of the Celtics’ core.
According to Sports Illustrated , the one of the final nails in the coffin of the Boston Celtics’ status as contenders was a proposed trade sending Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics trade of Allen and Rondo would have taken place in 2009. Its purpose was to restore team harmony, while preventing Rondo and Rivers from further bumping heads.
According to the Miami Herald , Ray Allen, then with the Miami Heat, spoke about the origins of his rift with his Celtics’ teammate, Rajon Rondo. Allen also spoke openly about the Celtics’ trade proposal, that is when the rift between he and Rajon Rondo began.
“So, I called him [Rajon Rondo] and I told him, ‘Hey, they’re supposedly trading us to Phoenix [Suns] because you and Danny and Doc don’t get along.’ So, for some reason, I guess he thought that I had something against him, or there were some issues. And I had no issues with him. I won with him.”
Since 2009, former Boston Celtics’ teammates Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo had problems. After Allen fled the Celtics in 2012 to join their hated rivals, the Miami Heat was when the rest of the Celtics began to dislike him.
It has been five years since many of the former Boston Celtics’ stars from their 2008 championship have spoken to Ray Allen. The disharmony is beginning to dissipate, leaving hope of a reunion featuring every member of that Boston Celtics team.
Paul Pierce says it’s time to bury the hatchet with Ray Allen https://t.co/dBLBi7rsSi pic.twitter.com/ajbPeFUZLq
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 10, 2017
A partial reunion (courtesy of Uproxx ) took place on TNT’s Area 21. Kevin Garnett hosted his former Celtics’ teammates Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins. Ray Allen was visibly absent from the show. The former Celtics who were in attendance spoke about their disappointment with Allen for not calling them prior to signing with the Miami Heat.
Each of the former Boston Celtics offered what it would take for their brotherhood to be restored. They acknowledged that it would take for Allen to reach out to them. Months later, one of the former Celtics, Paul Pierce, appears to have made amends with Ray Allen.
According to CBS Sports , former Celtics’ stars Paul Pierce and Ray Allen met in China over the weekend with hopes of squashing their issues with each other. The former Celtics may be able to get past their problems in hopes to reunite the championship team they played on.
Paul Pierce is the first former member of the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship team who has publicly been seen with Ray Allen. Pierce is calling for the other former Celtics to follow suit. Paul Pierce may get his wish.
With the NBA season fast approaching, there is a possibility of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins getting together with Ray Allen. As for Allen’s former Celtics’ backcourt mate Rajon Rondo, perhaps they will reconcile over time. Their disdain for each other goes deeper than what the reports have cited.
Signs of the two proud former Boston Celtics burying the hatchet would be recognized if Allen joins the 2008 championship team reunion. That will be telling if it were to happen.
Rajon Rondo is the former Celtics’ star who has done the organizing of the events that his teammates have participated in thus far. If Ray Allen were to take part in any of the events, it should serve as a sign that Rondo is willing to let bygones be bygones also. A full Boston Celtics reunion could be in the works.
[Featured Image by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images]