The opportunity to play with the game’s best, call Florida home and contend for another championship would be enough for many to consider joining the Miami Heat, but for veteran Ray Allen, there were apparently other factors at play.
Yahoo! Sports reported Friday night that Allen’s tense relationship with point guard Rajon Rondo played a part in his decision to leave the Boston Celtics for their rivals.
“The deterioration of Ray Allen’s relationship with Rajon Rondo played a significant factor in his leaving for Miami,” wrote Y!’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “Doc Rivers had tried to mend Rondo-Allen issues after season, but one team source says, ‘They were too far gone.'”
The Yahoo! reporter added that trade talks, including a move that nearly sent him to Memphis at the deadline this past season, compounded his frustration with the Boston Celtics. And so when Heat president Pat Riley impressed him with a presentation this week, Allen was sold on relocating, even though it means less money.
According to the story, Allen believes he built up enough capital with his runs in Boston and at UConn to prevent angering fans with his decision to take his talent to South Beach. That confidence that Boston would not overly condemn his decision helped make what he perceived as the right career move seem to be the right move, period.
