Ray Allen Graces Kevin Garnett's Jersey Retirement in Boston; Ends Decade-Old Rift with Former Teammate
(Photo : Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Kevin Garnett officially buried his beef with Ray Allen on the day his No. 5 was raised to the rafters at TD Garden.
During the ceremony honoring Garnett's six years with the team, he called out Allen, who was seated in the front row of the assembled guests, beside fellow Big Three member Paul Pierce, for being present despite years of acrimony between the two.
"It's good to see Ray Allen here," Garnett said. "Real s---. It's good to see you, man."
When the crowd erupted in applause, Allen came over and hugged Garnett, followed by Pierce, who grabbed both of them in a bear hug, per UPROXX.
It was a moment that formally ended their rift that began ten years ago when Allen chose to join LeBron James and the rival Miami Heat, igniting a years-long grudge with his former teammates.
Also, it was a move that marked an end to a five-year run for the three stars that brought Boston a championship in 2008 and ushered in a new era of talents flooding the NBA in an attempt to best them.
Philadelphia's Doc Rivers, who coached that 2008 title team, said he feels "very, very happy" for Kevin and that it is "really cool" that Ray came in attendance Sunday night.
As a member of Boston's new Big Three and a part of their only championship team in more than 20 years, Allen said he was very happy to be a part of Garnett's special day.
He admitted that for a long time, he was unsure a reunion would be possible.
The tension between Allen, Garnett, and Pierce appeared to ease after being honored as members of the NBA's 75th-anniversary team over All-Star weekend. They were seen smiling together in a photo from the celebration in a reunion that appears to have precluded Sunday's public showing.
He revealed that it has always been tough for him not to be able to connect with the team.
All of that felt like a distant memory on this day when Garnett's number was eventually raised to the rafters, where it now sits alongside Pierce's and is the latest of the 23 retired numbers during Celtic's illustrious history.
Garnett "Manifested" His No. 5 Raised to the Rafters
When asked if this moment was something he had envisioned happening, Garnett said that he manifested not only a championship but also "being immortal in the ceiling."
Garnett's arrival in 2007 as part of a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves helped turn around a dormant team and return Boston to the NBA's top tier, per ESPN.
He was a first-team All-NBA selection in 2008, the same year he earned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and also made four All-Defensive Teams during his six seasons with the franchise.
Eventually, the ceremony began with Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman recalling how he witnessed Garnett play for the first time.
Gorman was then followed by Pierce, who thanked Garnett for bringing the "Celtic Pride" back.
Since Rivers could not attend the ceremony, he delivered a video message to whom he described as the "greatest teammate to ever play the game." Also, a video montage of people congratulated Garnett, including Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale (who drafted Garnett with the Timberwolves in 1995), and Bill Russell, among others.
Garnett raised his jersey to the rafters with the help of his daughters as he dried tears from his eyes.
When Garnett was watching the video messages, he kept hearing that he joined the squad to make the players better, but those players, according to Garnett, actually made him better.
"And I like to think that we made each other better," Garnett said.
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Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce hug it out at KG's jersey retirement - from Chaz NBA