Garnett: 'I Don't Have Ray's Number Anymore'
WALTHAM (CBS) – While Ray Allen's former Celtics' brethren wish him well now that he is in Miami, that doesn't necessarily mean they have told him that.
Just ask Kevin Garnett, who has not spoken to the fellow future Hall of Famer since his defection down south. And Garnett stressed that the lack of communication betwen the two is his choice.
"I don't have Ray's number anymore," Garnett said at Celtics Media Day on Friday. "I'm not trying to communicate."
"I choose not to," he added. "I'm close to Ray; I know his family. I wish nothing but the best for him and his family. I just made a choice on my own, that's all."
Garnett understands Allen's departure, but was obviously upset about it when asked on multiple occasions. He'd rather focus on the team he has now than one player that skipped town.
"I'm focusing on JT (Jason Terry), Courtney Lee, the new guys that are here," he said of the Celtics new additions. "I wasn't going to come in here and answer a bunch of Ray Allen questions. I was going to answer one time and then focus on whats right here in this gym."
Like Garnett, Celtics captain Paul Pierce was taken aback when Allen chose to don a Miami Heat jersey for the end of his career instead of finishing it in Celtics green.
"I was very surprised at Ray's decision. I thought we would finish our careers together; me, Kevin and Ray," said Pierce. "But Ray is a grown up and he has to make the decision that is best for his family."
"I wish he would have went to the Clippers, but he went to our Eastern Conference rivals," Pierce added, noting Miami has much better golfing weather year-round than Boston.
This should make for a very interesting evening on October 30, when the Celtics open the season in Miami – banner night for the defending champion Heat.
And while it could come down to the Celtics and Heat once again in the Eastern Conference, Garnett isn't setting his sights on just one team this year.
"It's not just the Heat, but everybody," Garnett said. "The goal here is to win it (an NBA title), and whoever is in the way of that is in the way. It's just not MIami, it's not whoever, it's the whole league. Obviously they won it and they are the defending champions. I respect that. Along that road to the goal, whoever is in the way is in the way. It's not just one particular team."
