Do we finally have an answer as to why there’s so much drama between the former “Big Three” of the Boston Celtics?
As you probably know by now, Boston won its 17th championship in 2008. Ray Allen left in 2012 to sign with the rival Miami Heat and things just haven’t been the same between him and Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce, in particular. Allen said he’s “moved forward” from anything, but probably won’t attend Garnett’s jersey retirement at TD Garden.
But any feud between Allen and Rondo didn’t begin in 2012 when he darted to sign with rival. It started in 2009 — the year after the C’s won the NBA championship.
Well, according to ex-Celtic Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins appeared on Sirius XM NBA Radio and revealed Boston was exploring a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for Chris Paul — and Rondo would be part of that trade.
“KG and Paul was like, ‘Nah we ain’t doing that,'” Perkins said, as transcribed by MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “‘As great as CP is, man, we just won a championship, we’re rocking with (Rondo),'” Perkins said. “He’s giving us everything that we need.”
The one who thought the Celtics should pull the trigger? Yep, you guessed it. Allen.
“That was it from there,” Perkins said. “It was even to the point where we brought boxing gloves to the gym, and they got on boxing gloves. Ray and Rondo, like they put on the gloves, ad we made them box it out like two rounds. … That’s the thing. Rondo never got over that.”
Boxing at practice? These two really didn’t like each other.
We guess even 11 years can’t repair the damage.
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