After hearing about the team's former player's not inviting Ray Allen to the 10th anniversary celebration of the Boston Celtics‘ championship in 2008, team president Danny Ainge called for them to get over the ill feelings they have and include him in their plans.
The 58-year-old front office executive sent a message to them, via Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, and said Allen was an important member of that squad. He also added that they wouldn't have been able to win without him as he made a big contribution to their cause as well.
“Ray not getting invited to a reunion of that team would be like me celebrating the 1986 title without Kevin McHale. It seems silly. We got where we got because of Ray. He was an important part of that team’s success.
“You just hope that time heals all wounds.”
Ainge then said he understands where Rajon Rondo was coming from which caused him to exclude his former teammate from the planned festivities.
“I know there was a bit of a rift on the team, but I don’t know to what extent, even now, that it’s so bad Ray wouldn’t be invited to a 2008 reunion.”
The members of the 2008 team did not take things lightly when Allen decided to join the Miami Heat — who they had a rivalry with after their championship. They battled in multiple playoff series but never got past them especially in their “Big 3” era of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The addition of the all-time leader in three-point field goals made them even tougher to beat, and helped them win their second straight championship in 2013.
It remains to be seen if Allen will indeed be invited and if he'll attend the anniversary. However, one thing that's clear is Rondo and company are still not over the fact that he left them to join their nemesis even after nine years have gone by.
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