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“Ray helped me make my first All-star team,” Lewis said. “He taught me the importance of taking care of my body and important off-the-court things. I listened to him a lot and it’s helped my career. I still use all of his tips today.” RealGM

Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis 

Asked if Kevin Garnett was genuinely mad at Ray Allen's defection to the rival Heat, leading to the in-game snub on the Celtics' bench, Rivers said: "No, Kevin's pretty genuine. I don't know if the word is 'mad' or 'disappointed.' I don't know what word is. Kevin has his own code, God bless him. I love his mentality. I think it's refreshing sometimes." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Kevin Garnett 

But the Miami guard claims he would have taken the Clippers seriously, if they had given him a chance. “I believe they thought I was using them as leverage,” Allen said. “But I spoke with (coach) Vinny (Del Negro) and their people before I came down (to Miami). I said we’ll set up a trip. I told them I’m flying to Miami first, and then I’m going to spend two days in LA. “I talked with Vinny about it and I said right now I’m a free agent. If Boston is not coming to the table for me, I have to entertain every possible scenario. I wasn’t flying from here all the way to LA just to hang out. As a free agent, I’ve never gone anywhere just to visit.” Boston Herald

Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Free Agency, Ray Allen 

Check out Kevin Garnett giving Allen the cold shoulder in the GIF below. Garnett ignores Allen entirely during the pregame, while Allen goes for a high-five. At least Allen wasn't left hanging, tapping someone else on the Celtics bench. A Garnett-savvy veteran knows to have a backup plan. "That's just KG," Allen told TNT's Craig Sager with a smile in a postgame interview. "He probably didn't see me coming because his head's down all the time on the bench." Hmm. You'd think the physical contact would alert Garnett that someone's trying to get his attention. USA Today

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett 

Garnett was asked why he passed on greeting Allen: "You know what man, I was just trying to stay as neutral as I could but obviously I'm an intense person. Other than it was blank, I just saw the Heat uniforms and obviously he's on the other side and I just tried to play the game, man." Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett 

But now that both teams are set to face off tonight in Miami, Allen's mom Flo Allen-Hopson tells TMZ, she isn't holding the same grudge, claiming, "I love the guys. They’ve been in our home. They’ve been in Ray's home. If they came to my home tomorrow, if they wanted me to cook for them, I would because they are all our sons." TMZ.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Flo Allen-Hopson 

But this time, it’s not just a one-off. Rivers, deservedly hailed as a brilliant play-caller, had killed teams late in games over and over by having Ray Allen slip off high-screens and following that up immediately with a second pick set for the ballhandler by Kevin Garnett. The set consistently earned Boston open looks because, when executed properly, only the most disciplined defenses could defend so many moving parts. So, as part of a constant effort to instill motion into Miami’s offense, Spoelstra took what worked. “It was one of Ray’s plays. That was the genesis of it,” Spoelstra said. “It had hurt us enough, so we figured we might as well steal it.” NBA.com

Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

First, the staple of many Spoelstra of Spoelstra’s after-timeout plays: the baseline runner. “That position can be Mike Miller, James Jones, or it can be Ray,” Rashard Lewis said. “[Spoelstra] wanted me to go to the corner to prevent the help. If somebody takes the roll man and obviously the guy in the corner would be open.” “[It’s] just to have an active recipient. That guy is live. He could be open,” Spoelstra said. Elsewhere, the bulk of the play is developing. Wade sets a screen for Allen in the corner, and the defense switches, thus beginning Allen’s dilemma. Here, he can either set a hard pick for James, or fake it, slip underneath James’ defender and flare out to the far wing for a three. We’ll let him take you through it: “If I know they’re going to switch I’m just going to slip,” Allen said. “And then that’s going to leave two on the ball. If they do switch all together when I set the screen, you’ve got my guy on LeBron. So that’s not a bad mismatch for us to take advantage of. NBA.com

Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

I asked Ray Allen if he'll greet Celtics before game or wait until they make the first move. “I don’t pre-determine what it, how it may be, how it may feel or how it may go down,'' Allen said. "But these guys are my friends. I think you guys think that I have some kind of animosity toward them or bad blood. I don’t. I’ve said it time and time again. We’ve shared in my opinion, and a lot of people will tell you, probably the most special thing that you can do in sports is going on to the top. That’s always going to be No. 1 closest to my heart. So when I see Paul (Pierce) I’m not going to be like angry at him or anybody else. I’m happy. I’m excited. I look forward to it, seeing all these guys,’’ Sulia

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

Doc Rivers on if he tried reaching out to Allen about coming back to Boston: “I tried. I actually tried to call him. After the year we talked fine and then when free agency started Ray didn’t return Danny’s calls, didn’t return my calls. I stopped trying. Listen if you’ve been with me or our team for five years or four years and I have to call you every 10 seconds in free agency then you probably don’t want to be here.” Sports Radio Interviews

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Free Agency, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers 

Allen said it will be a night of mixed emotions, excited his next teammates are getting championship rings, but disappointed his former team came up short against the Heat in a memorable Eastern Conference finals. Of the game itself, he said, "It's nothing personal. You want to beat the other team." Asked to finally define the primary reason he left the Celtics, Allen said, "I'd rather not discuss it. I don't think there was a number-one factor." Allen said he has settled into South Florida quite nicely. "All of those fears that I've had have been relieved or taken are of," he said. Allen, on Tuesday's opener, "In every game you have butterflies. He added, "There's so many emotions in play right now." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

Doc Rivers on his relationship with Ray Allen: “I didn’t think it was bad, but maybe I’m the last to know. It didn’t help when I decided to start Avery (Bradley), obviously. But as a coach you make choices. You worry about people’s feelings but you worry more about the team. If anything, Ray probably didn’t like that. I’ll probably always look at myself first. Ray wanted the ball more, things like that. It’s like I tell my guys ever year, ‘If you’re here for me to run stuff for you look good then you are in the wrong place.’” NBCSports.com

Boston Celtics, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers 

When Allen decided to accept the Heat's offer, he called Ainge, texted KG and left town. "Two years ago when I was a free agent, the whole organization sent me a text asking me to come back," Allen said. "This time it was a little more subdued." This time, while Pierce and KG texted their support, and Ainge initiated dialogue at the stroke of midnight, Rivers stayed out of the negotiations. Their relationship, once strong, faltered in Allen's final months wearing Celtic green. "Doc never called and said, 'We want you to come back,'" Allen said. "I can't say I expected him to do that. It's hard to say what the protocol is in those situations." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

His friction with Rondo was apparent, but he appears prepared to move on from that as well. "When you ask me about Rondo, the only thing I'm going to think of is the guy who came to the house asking for my mom's lobster pasta," Allen said. "Those are the memories I have." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo 

"I sensed [Rivers] didn't want to use me in the pick-and-roll," Allen said. "I was so good at pick-and-roll in Seattle. It always struck me as odd that they didn't want me to do that. "I would ask [Rivers] about it, and he'd just say, 'I think this is better for the team.' But I always felt I could do it. I could shoot out of them or get to the hole if I needed to, given the chance. "I'm doing that here [in Miami]. We're doing a lot of different things here from different angles. It's been fun for me. Sort of a rebirth. I'm at the phase now where I'm reprogramming my mind on both ends of the floor. ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

Chris Forsberg: Ray Allen says he’ll always be a Celtic. “"It's always going to be in my veins.” Spin or sincere? (Jackie MacMullan) es.pn/SlSgF7 Twitter @ESPNForsberg

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

Chris Forsberg: Doc Rivers, apprised of Ray Allen's recent comments to Miami media, shrugs and says: "We're just going to let Ray keep talking." Twitter @ESPNForsberg

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, Coaching 

Chris Forsberg: Rondo on Ray's chatter: "I just stay focused and hit the gym. I didn't read any papers or see anything on the news about No. 20." Twitter @ESPNForsberg

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo 

FOX Sports Florida interviewed Celtics legends and Hall of Famers Heinsohn, Cousy and Dave Cowens for their take on Allen leaving Boston last summer to sign as a free agent with Miami. All were flattering of Allen’s tenure with the Celtics and none criticized his right to leave as a free agent, but Heinsohn offered an analysis that might not overjoy Heat fans. “He’s coming to the end of his career,’’ said Heinsohn, a Celtics television analyst. “I think the world of Ray…. But I think he’s going to have some trouble this year because he was always in great shape and with his operation he wasn’t able to train this summer like he normally does. He’s a jumping jump shooter. He has developed his shot, and he jumps 10 inches. But if he’s only jumping nine inches, he’s going to be front-rimming shots… If he doesn’t get off to a good start, the fans could get on him.’’ FOXSports Florida

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen 

With a week left before facing his former team in the Miami Heat's season opener, guard Ray Allen said his surgically repaired ankle isn't completely healed and could require treatment well into the season. "I still deal with soreness in my ankle that I work through every day," Allen said after the Heat's practice Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Allen has played in all five of the Heat's preseason games and has shown little effects of the June 13 procedure he had to remove bone spurs from the ankle several days after the Boston Celtics were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals by the eventual NBA champion Heat. ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Ray Allen