Free Agency in professional sports is when the player has the luxury to pick the team of their choice while they are not under contract of another team. Ray Allen formerly of the Boston Celtics joined the Miami Heat via free agency, and it caused a huge uproar. I’ve read many articles online, and I’ve seen people call it the Decision 2.0 as well as questioning Ray Allen’s loyalty to the C’s.
Allen has been in the NBA since 1996 so he knows that this game is more about business than anything. You are talking about a guy that has been traded three times in his career. I think Ray Allen knows that loyalty in the NBA is an afterthought.
First off the writings were on the wall with Allen. Boston has made a valid point that Ray was the only expendable person out of the core players. After the Celtics signed Jason Terry it was clear that Allen would be searching for a new home. Everyone knew that Ray Allen would leave Boston, but nobody wanted him to go to the Heatles.
The Miami Heat are looking to repeat as NBA Champs so they figured they would have to make a few improvements to already potent team.
Allen will complement them well and provide spacing on the floor so that LeBron and Wade can slash to the bucket at will and to add punch to a bench who is average at best.
I can only imagine the story lines this upcoming NBA Season when the Celtics and Heat take the court.
Nobody would be making a huge deal out of it if Allen would have went to Memphis. Steve Nash went from being a member of the Suns to teaming with the so-called enemy the Los Angeles Lakers. In sports things like this happen. Johnny Damon left the Red Sox to team with the Yankees and Bill Belichick has coached both the Jets and the Patriots.
Ray Allen was free to make a decision, and he did. If Boston cared so much they would have kept him around to retire as a Celtic. I hope the Celtic faithful celebrate Allen for helping them win a title. Celtic fans must have forgot how bad it was with Dana Barros and Ricky Davis.
I’ll sum this up in 5 words:: Ray Allen is a lame. You can’t do this. Rivalries are what make sports. Sellout moves like this minimize all the work the C’s put in over the last 5 years together.
I wouldn’t call him a trader, he’s 36-37?? Plus they tried to trade him even had a deal done that they pulled the trigger against after telling him he was gone. That offer was a mirage because they signed JET before the other deal was even announced. With JET and Bradley in the fold where was he going to play?? I wish he didn’t go to the heat but he’s no trader the C’s front office did him dirty and he returned the favor. If he was in the 20’s I would feel a lil different but in his twilight I have no problem with it at all