MIAMI _ Udonis Haslem went Friday where former teammate Ray Allen declined to go a day earlier.
This time the rebuke to Allen's former Boston Celtics teammates was cutting strong and to the point.
In the wake of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and other former Allen teammates continuing to call out Allen for his 2012 free-agent defection to the Heat, this time Monday on TNT's studio programming during the NBA playoffs, Haslem stepped up in his role as Heat team captain on The Joe Rose Show on WQAM.
"It's not like the year before with Ray they beat us," Haslem said of the Heat defeating Allen, Garnett and Pierce in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. "Put it this way, it wasn't the similar situation to maybe Kevin Durant going to the team that beat him. It was, you got your ass whooped with Ray, and we got Ray and we whupped your ass again."
During a Thursday appearance when he donated a computer lab to a Miami-Dade middle school, Allen declined to address the comments from his estranged Celtics teammates.
Haslem, though, had no issue speaking up for his 2013 NBA championship teammate.
"I mean, they got to let that go," Haslem said. "I think when you get to a point where you're a free agent, you have the opportunity to make the best decision for you. Quality of life: Boston, Miami? Ahh, you guys can figure that one out.
"I mean, and I understand, because at that time it was somewhat of a rivalry between us and Boston. But even when they had Ray we beat 'em. So it wasn't like Ray came and helped us get over the edge."
Allen spent two seasons with the Heat, retiring after the Heat fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals. Allen continues to reside in South Florida.
"Man, I love Ray," Haslem said, "Man, Ray's one of those guys that, you know, 50 years from now, I can always sit down and pick his brain and I can always look up to him as a veteran, a guy who's accomplished so much in this league, but just not on the floor, off the floor as well. And he's the ultimate professional. I have the ultimate respect for Ray.
"You'll never hear me say anything bad about Ray. Even if he was to leave the Heat and go play for San Antonio, I would still have the same, as much respect for Ray. And if we had to play then the next year, it wouldn't change the way I feel about Ray as a person. And I'm the ultimate competitor. Like, I keep a bad taste in my mouth, I keep a chip on my shoulder. You can't be mad at Ray. Ray's not that guy."
