The Miami Heat are feeling pretty good after a strong Game 7 win that sent them to their second-straight NBA Finals. Ray Allen is especially enjoying the return trip. The veteran angered a lot of people when he made the jump from the Boston Celtics to the Miami Heat, but as the Heat prepare to make a run at another championship, Allen feels validated for the move.
Allen played a crucial role in the Game 7 victory, going 3-5 from the 3-point line. He is now back in the Finals, the place he was hoping to be when he decided to leave Boston for their Eastern Conference rivals.
"When we sat down and we talked about it, we being my family and the people that supported me over my life, we talked about being selfish and giving ourselves the best opportunity to win. We wanted to win, we didn't want to be in a situation where we were going to struggle. Sitting here in this situation, it's a great relief. Because sometimes you take a gamble. Your family believes in you, and we're here and I can say that we're in the situation we put ourselves in and we're happy with it. We know that we can see the end of the road," Allen said.
Allen took less money to join up with the Heat in order to try and earn another championship. The Celtics offered him three years, $9.5 million, but instead Allen took two years for $6.2 million. Now in South Beach, Allen is feeling pretty good about the jump.
While Celtics were not too thrilled about Allen heading down south, the Celtics were reportedly looking to lure Allen back up to Boston. A rumor surfaced that Allen could reunite with his fellow Big 3 teammates for 2014 after opting out of his second year with Miami. However, sources close to both Allen and Boston say that the rumor is completely false and should not be taken seriously.
The idea of Allen rejoining the Celtics seemed pretty far-fetched. He left Boston on bad terms with Danny Ainge. He felt Ainge was shopping him around during the 2012 season and did not feel wanted in Boston. The feeling was mutual when Allen announced he was heading to Miami.
Now, Allen is happier than ever as he prepares to face the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat will need a big outside shooting presence to beat the Spurs and Allen is expected to play a large role.
