Big happy family? Perk, Scal unsure of Allen’s relationship with KG, Pierce originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Nearly a decade after his departure for the Miami Heat, tensions between Ray Allen and his former Boston Celtics teammates remain a touchy subject.
A thaw is seemingly in the works, especially after Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett posed for a picture during last weekend’s NBA All-Star Game, in which the members of Boston’s new age “Big Three” were honored as members of the league’s 75th anniversary team.
But was the photo op a continued sign of improving relations between the key members of the 2008 NBA champs, or merely one-off event?
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Appearing on Pregame Live Thursday, Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine — both of whom also won a ring with the Celtics in 2008 — offered their thoughts on the situation, including the potential presence of Allen at Garnett’s jersey retirement ceremony in March.
“I wouldn’t say a big happy family, but I will say this was a beautiful thing to see,” Perkins said of the reunion. “Because with this picture had to come some type of conversation. People have to realize that we weren’t just brothers on the plane or on the court or in the locker room. We actually spent holidays together.”
Garnett will have his No. 5 retired by the Celtics on March 13 when they host the Dallas Mavericks. Pierce’s No. 34 has already been retired after he spent the first 15 seasons of his career in Boston, but Garnett wound up spending only one more season (six) than Allen did in green.
One year after Allen signed with the rival Heat and LeBron James after they’d defeated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, Garnett and Pierce were traded in a blockbuster deal to the Brooklyn Nets for a trove of assets, including draft pics which ultimately became Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Allen skipped Pierce’s jersey retirement ceremony in 2018.
Perkins, for his part, has lobbied for Allen’s No. 20 to hang from the rafters as well.
Both Scalabrine and Perkins said they planned on being at the TD Garden for Garnett’s ceremony next month.
“We’ll know if we’re one big happy family if Ray shows up,” Scalabrine said. “Because Ray should be there. Ray needs to be in the building.”
To view Perk and Scal’s full comments, see the video above.