Ray Allen left the Boston Celtics to sign with the Miami Heat in 2012, a move that Celtics president Danny Ainge suggests could affect the chances of the Hall of Famer’s number being retired by Boston.
Ainge appeared on the “Toucher and Rich” radio program on Wednesday and was asked about the possibility of Allen’s number being retired in the wake of Kevin Garnett’s pending number retirement this season.
Ainge said that Allen’s rejection of a two-year, $12 million deal with the Celtics will have some bearing on such a decision.
“Sure, sure that’ll have some impact,” Ainge said.
Ainge indicated that he still gets together with Allen during the offseason and expressed his appreciation for Allen’s role in the Celtics’ 2008 championship.
“Yeah, we get along great,” Ainge said. “I’m a big, big fan of Ray’s and I’ll always be grateful to Ray for the championship he gave us.”
The final decision on retiring Allen’s number is something that Ainge indicated won’t be his call.
“These are not my decisions,” Ainge said. “So if someone asks my opinion on this, I’ll weigh in at the appropriate time. But this is [Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck]’s team and he gets to make those decisions.”
When Allen signed with the Heat, he was 37 years old and the Heat were coming off the second NBA title in their history. Sensing a chance to pick up another championship ring, Allen made the decision to leave the Celtics.
While Allen only averaged 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game during the 2012-13 campaign, he saved his biggest contribution for Game 6 of the Finals.
Allen’s clutch 3-pointer helped the Heat send the contest against the San Antonio Spurs into overtime. The Heat would go on to win that contest and then capture Game 7 two nights later.
The shot by Allen remains the biggest one in Heat history, a memorable legacy that he can hold onto if the Celtics end up not retiring his number in the future.