Doc Rivers Takes Blame for Ray Allen, 2008 Celtics Not Reconciling Past Drama

The Boston Celtics formed a Big Three in the 2007 offseason when they acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join Paul Pierce.

Over the next five years, the C's won one NBA title, two Eastern Conference championships and reached the East semifinals each season.

However, the trio broke up in 2012 when Allen left to join LeBron James and the rival Miami Heat, which created a rift between the shooting guard and remaining Celtics.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, who led the C's during that era, blamed himself during a conversation Jeff Goodman and Bob Ryan of CLNS Media Network for why that feud lingers:

Pierce and Garnett played one more season in Boston before the Celtics traded both of them to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal.

Haley O'Shaughnessy of The Ringer broke down the feud in September 2018. She highlighted comments from Allen's autobiography in which he expressed his disappointment in Boston's contract offer and future plans for him.

"So let me see if I got this straight," Allen wrote. "You want to pay me less money. You want to bring me off the bench. You want to continue to run the offense around [Rajon] Rondo. Now tell me again exactly why I would want to sign this contract?"

Rondo organized a 10-year reunion of the 2008 team but did not invite Allen, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

"I asked a couple of the guys. I got a no, a no head shake," Rondo said.

Allen also did not attend Pierce's jersey retirement ceremony, but he did congratulate his former teammate on Instagram.

As O'Shaughnessy noted, Pierce seems to get along with Allen the best, while Rondo and Garnett still appear to be feuding with him.

Rivers mentioned that Garnett's jersey retirement ceremony, which will take place during the 2020-21 season, could be a good time to patch things up. The date for that ceremony has yet to be determined.