Ray Allen on how bad the backlash was when he left Boston for the Miami Heat

Time heals all wounds, and enough has passed from the departure of champion Boston Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen for fans of the team to have forgiven how things went at the time.

But the response from some fans was very far beyond what should be acceptable behavior under the guise of fandom, something that the UConn alum recently spoke about in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso. “People get upset when you leave, I get it,” said Allen. “My family and me, we loved Boston. We hated to leave.”

“But when you’re telling me I’m not part of your future, I need to move on,” added the Celtics champ, alluding to his being demoted in the rotation and dangled in trades.

“There was a lot of hate over it,” Allen explained, “there were even death threats, and I think some people forgot the five years we had.”

“Those five years were full of greatness and excitement. I loved my time in Boston.”

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