Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics in the Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, U.S., June 5, 2012. /VCG
As the Boston Celtics announced before the All-Star Weekend that they will retire the No. 5 jersey of Kevin Garnett next season, two of the Big 3 that helped the Celtics win the 2008 NBA Championship, KG and Paul Pierce, will see their jerseys hang from the rafters at the TD Garden. Now the question is, will the third member of the Big 3, Ray Allen, have his No. 20 jersey retired by the Celtics?
Allen joined the Celtics in 2007 summer and averaged 16.7 points per game in 358 games. Last year, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Currently, Allen still leads the NBA career 3-point scoring leaders table by draining 2,973 triples. If it weren't for Stephen Curry, Allen would be the greatest shooter in NBA history.
L-R: Ray Allen, Ken Garnett and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics attend the championship-winning parade in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 19, 2008. /VCG
The Celtics, which have won league-high 17 NBA Championships, surely have a high standard for jersey retirement, but there are still 22, which is also league-high, legends see their numbers raised to the TD Garden rafters. Soon Garnett will make the 23rd. The honors under Allen's name should be enough to make him the 24th.
Nonetheless, the remarks by Danny Ainge, president of basketball operations of the Celtics, increased the uncertainty of the matter. Having appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Toucher and Rich" on Wednesday, Ainge said though he "no longer holds any grudge against Allen … that's not the exact same feeling of everybody in the organization."
Ray Allen #20 and Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics talks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 23, 2012. /VCG
Ainge's talking about Allen's departure for the Miami Heat in 2012 summer. Back then, the whole team were going through a troubled period. The team grew one year older and needed to change the way they play. Ainge proposed a two-year, 12-million-U.S.-dollar contract to Allen kept after multiple attempts to trade him. Coach Doc Rivers wanted Allen to start off the bench. The conflict between Allen and Rajon Rondo was basically public.
In the end, Allen decided to leave Boston and joined Miami, the team that just knocked Boston out in the playoffs several months earlier. Boston's key players, including Pierce and Garnett, said in public that they were no longer friends with Allen.
Ray Allen #34 of the Miami Heat shoots and drains the last-second 3-pointer in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Arena, U.S., June 18, 2013. /VCG
In the following 2012-13 season, the Celtics lost to the New York Knicks in the playoffs. The Heat won the NBA Championship and they could not have done that if Allen had not buried that game-changing 3-pointer in Game 6 of the Finals.
Though the Celtics sent KG and Pierce away in 2013 summer, they never gave their No. 5 and No. 34 jerseys to anyone else. However, Allen's No. 20 jersey did not stay unoccupied for long. Gordon Hayward put it on when he arrived at the TD Garden in 2017 summer.
Ray Allen has played for four NBA teams (L-R): the Milwaukee Bucks, the Seattle Supersonics, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. /VCG
It would be totally understandable if the Celtics do not want to retire Allen's jersey since they believe Allen disrespected them when he decided to join the Heat. However, neither did they show much respect towards Allen in 2012 summer. Furthermore, Allen did not owe the Celtics anything after he gave the last peak years of his career to the team, not to mention that the Celtics would have not won the championship in 2008 without any one of the Big 3. Becoming a Hall of Famer already spoke how great Allen is as a player. Jersey-retiring is nice, but more like adding brilliance to his splendor, not the splendor itself.