Ray Allen: Rajon Rondo told Celtics he carried them to 2008 championship
Ray Allen fell out of favor with the Celtics when he signed with the Heat in 2012. His relationship with Rajon Rondo, poor already, became especially dismal.
Allen said the issue stems from him trying to have Rondo stop a trade of the pair to the Suns in 2009.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News:
It came up again during the 2010-11 season. In a team meeting, Allen writes, Rondo told his teammates, “I carried all of you to the championship in 2008.”
Allen continued: “The rest of the team, almost in unison, responded, ‘You what?’” Rondo said everyone on the team had problems with him, and when Allen told him, “None of us had issues with you,” Rondo said to him, “You did, too. You told me I was the reason we were going to be traded.”
Allen describes Rondo as a player who expected that he would be treated as a leader without having done the work to deserve the role, and describes the Celtics as an organization that could not figure out how to handle Rondo. Coach Doc Rivers asked Garnett and Allen to “let [Rondo] into the circle,” but Allen told Rivers, “We can’t make him a leader, Doc. He has to earn it.”
Allen details the famed incident during the Celtics’ playoff series against Miami in 2011, when Rivers was going over film with the team and pointing out some of the errors made during their losses in the first two games. Rondo “put his head down and turned his chair toward the lockers.” Rivers implored him to watch the film.
“F— that film,” Rondo said, according to Allen, hurling a water bottle at the screen and breaking it. Rivers ordered Rondo out. Garnett followed him and said, “Young fella, you need to get your s— together.”
Keep in mind: This is Allen’s perspective, detailed in a new book. Rondo might describe things differently.
Though even Rondo admits he can be difficult.
Rondo didn’t receive enough credit at the time for Boston’s 2008 title. So much of the praise was heaped on stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Allen. Rondo, just a second-year player, was also very good and hadn’t yet been recognized for his production.
But that’s not close to saying he carried the Celtics to the championship. He was still their fourth-best player.
And telling his Boston teammates he carried them would be a whole other level. Allen revealing this will probably take his feud with Rondo up a notch, too.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35750 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:55 pm Post subject:
Runway8 wrote:
Does anybody ever talk about the 2011 one time champ Dallas Mavs? Man, these guys get talked about all the time for one stinking title.
Yeah, it's pretty unimpressive that the then-greatest shooter of all time, a top 10 all-time Small Forward, and a top 5 All-Time PF were only able to win one title.
Though if Garnett hadn't injured his knee in 2009 (he was never the same), then they may have three-peated. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Ray Allen shot something like 8% from 3 for the first 3 rounds of those playoffs. _________________ I believe everything the media tells me except for anything for which I have direct personal knowledge, which they always get wrong
Rajon Rondo on Ray Allen’s book: ‘He just wants attention’
Ray Allen wrote a book that spills a lot of dirt on Rajon Rondo – how Rondo told Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Allen and other Celtics he carried them to the 2008 title, how Rondo clashed with Doc Rivers.
Rondo, via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe:
“He just wants attention,” Rondo said. “I need actually some sales from [the book], only [publicity] it’s been getting is from my name. I need some percentage or something.”
“Obviously, that man is hurting,” Rondo said of Allen. “I don’t know if it’s financially, I don’t know if it’s mentally. He wants to stay relevant. I am who I am. I don’t try to be something I’m not. I can’t say the same for him. He’s looking for attention. I’m a better human being than that. I take accountability for my actions. Certain [stuff] happens in my life, I man up. But he has a whole other agenda.”
“He’s been retired for whatever years, and now he comes out with a book,” Rondo said of Allen. “People do that in that situation they need money. He should have hit me up and asked me for a loan or something. It’s no hard feelings.”
Obviously, Allen wants attention. He’s promoting a book.
But that doesn’t make the stories in the book inaccurate.
Allen and Rondo, now with the Pelicans, have feuded for a while. Neither is completely reliable about the other. Both are too colored by their dislike for each other.
I doubt Rondo knows about Allen’s financial situation. Rondo is just trying to dig at Allen, like Allen dug at Rondo in the book. Famous people write books for many reasons. Financial gain isn’t necessarily Allen’s primary motivation. Allen has a lot of time in retirement.
I’d rather hear Rondo address the book’s claims. He’s extremely forthright, even admitting he’s difficult to coach. He might corroborate the stories involving himself and Rivers. Telling Garnett, Pierce and Allen he led them to the championship? I’d like to know Rondo’s side of that story.
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8288 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:25 pm Post subject:
Rondo was a much better player in 2010 than in 2008. In 08 he was just an average average player. In 2010 he was an elite player. Sounds like Rondo/KG/Pierce/Allen are acting like a bunch of spoiled schoolboy brats. _________________ Lakers 49ers Chargers Dodgers
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