It's been almost nine months since Ray Allen took his leave from the Boston Celtics to join the Miami Heat, and Paul Pierce still hasn't gotten over the hurt of watching his former teammate leave to his heated rivals.
Though the two haven't exchanged word's since Allen's departure, the Boston Herald is reporting that the Celtics captain has admitted he's still not ready to have that conversation with Allen.
"One day when it's all said and done, I'm sure we'll talk about it off to the side," Pierce said when asked if he was capable of forgiving Allen for joining the Celtics' bitterest conference rival. "But not right now."
He later added the effect Allen's departure had on him on a personal level:
"It definitely hurt me," Pierce said. "Say we play the Lakers for the championship, and two years later I go and sign with the Lakers. That's the equivalent of what he did."
Allen got wind of Pierce's comments and in response had this to say:
"I miss playing with Paul, and being his teammate," he said. "There's a lot of sentimentality from me being there and walking with those guys. That doesn't change. I wouldn't take that away from him. I respect him feeling that way. Those feelings are justified. I'm not on his team anymore, I'm not helping them win.
"His feelings are hurt, but he knows, he understands. He and I can look at each other and exchange a glance, because he knows what I had to do. He knows."
Pierce acknowledged that he understood Allen's reasons for leaving, but claims it wasn't his reasons for leaving that hurt him but his choice to join the Heat.
"I was a little upset," Pierce said. "I had a feeling that Ray probably wouldn't come back, just from how things were between him and the organization.
"But I didn't think he would go there," he said, referring to Miami. "I thought he might go someplace like the Clippers. None of that would have surprised me. But it really surprised me that he would go there."
Still through all the pain to the move has had on their bond with one another, Pierce continues to think of Allen within the context of the 2008 NBA title despite being with LeBron James and the rest of the Heat players.
"When you win a championship, you mark your place in history with that team," Pierce said. "Everybody knows Ray Allen from winning the championship in Boston, and over the last few years (Miami) is our arch-nemesis."
Related Articles:
Dennis Rodman Will Return To North Korea To Vacation With Kim Jong Un
Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: Dwight Howard Dominates The San Antonio Spurs, Can He Continue To Lead In Bryant's Absence? (Video)
