Grousbeck On Felger & Mazz: Celtics 'Not Upset' With Ray Allen For Leaving
Wyc Grousbeck, Boston Celtics managing partner and governor, joined Tony Massarotti and Marc Bertrand to discuss the Boston Celtics' offseason and Ray Allen's decision to sign with the Miami Heat.
Did emotion get in the way of Ray Allen's decision to go play for the Miami Heat?
"I think Ray felt probably that he had lost his starting spot. That he was being asked to fit into a team that wa smoving forward. We really wanted him back and he knew that. And he felt like we tried to trade him," Grousbeck said. "So when he put all of that together, that's gotta be emotional. Now we won it with emotion in '08, so emotion's part of it when it's good, and emotion is a part of it when it's bad."
How upset is the Celtics organization over losing Ray Allen to Miami?
"We're not upset. I'm not upset, and I'll speak for the Celtics, we're not upset," Grousbeck said. "That's not the word. We're gonna miss him."
Grousbeck said he disagrees with the notion that Allen went to Miami because it presented an easier route to a championship.
"I don't think it's going to be easy to get past us next year," he said.
While Grousbeck stressed that emotion appears to have been a major factor in Allen's decision, he said there shouldn't be hard feelings.
"We don't owe him anything but he doesn't owe us anything," Grousbeck said. "He's done his part here. He helped us hang that banner and we wouldn't have won it without him. So we're just going to try to win that next one without him."
Grousbeck didn't deny the report that said Allen went to the Celtics asking for a three-year, $27 million deal. He also said he got goosebumps when asked how he will remember Allen's Celtics career.
"I remember sitting there in Game 4 in L.A. when we're down 24 points, and Ray nearly single-handedly brought us back with a record-setting barrage of 3-pointers, and we won and went up 3-1 on the Lakers in '08," he said. "I remember him holding his son Walker and talking about his family and how important they are, I remember him setting the 3-point record in a Celtics uniform.
"And unfortunately, I'm going to remember him saying he's going to our archrivals for half the money."
