Kevin Garnett’s explanation for why he and Ray Allen fell out: You were aware, my friend, that we had a serious beef.
After Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce joined forces in Boston in 2007, the team won its first NBA championship since the days of Larry Bird. However, they broke up after their championship window ended, which led to a feud between KG and Ray-Ray.
In a recent interview with “The Stephen A. Show,” Garnett revealed the reason behind the argument between two former teammates. The Hall of Famer clarified that Allen’s choice to sign with the Miami Heat, one of Boston’s fiercest rivals at the time, was the cause of the split.
Boston’s Big Three
Allen was acquired by the Celtics from the Seattle SuperSonics in a trade. With his arrival, the organization was better able to persuade Garnett to bring his skills to Beantown as well, forming a Big Three that would propel the Celtics to the forefront of the NBA right away.
Boston was led by KG, Ray-Ray, and “The Truth” to the 2008 NBA title. The team looked fantastic the next year as well, but they lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals due to a late-season injury to Garnett.
A healthy Big Three helped the C’s make it back to the Finals the following year, but they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
In 2011, the Celtics forced LeBron James and company to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they lost the series in the first year of Miami’s Big Three era. At that point, Allen chose to join the Celtics’ bitter rival, severely damaging his relationship with The Big Ticket, rather than trying to win it back with Boston or finding another team.
Kobe’s passing altered KG’s viewpoint.
Two years later, in a blockbuster trade, KG was sent to the Brooklyn Nets along with Pierce and other players. Even so, he harbored animosity toward his erstwhile colleague for many years.
Nevertheless, Garnett came to the realization that life is too short to harbor animosity toward former acquaintances after the untimely passing of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
Allen was there and even received a shout-out from Garnett during KG’s jersey retirement ceremony in 2022. Kevin, Ray, and Paul were all smiles in a picture taken during the NBA’s 75th Anniversary ceremony during the 2022 All-Star weekend.
After winning the 2008 championship, Garnett and Allen were never able to replicate that success. However, as a unit, they experienced numerous historical moments. Now that their feud is over, the two can reflect on their times spent together.
