Allen takes high road

Former player brushes aside Celtics questions

EL PORTAL — Ray Allen decided in advance he wanted to stay above it all. So on a day his Ray of Hope foundation donated a state-of-the-art computer lab to Horace Mann Middle School, he requested through his publicist there be no questions about recent criticism from his former Boston Celtics teammates.

Just about everything during the appearance alongside Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho was about Allen’s career-ending tenure with the Miami Heat, from the mural of his dramatic shot during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals at the front of the computer lab to the Heat 2013 championship ring he wore as his lone basketball memento.

Yet kids being kids, among the first questions from the students was about where he had more fun playing among his championship destinations, Miami or Boston.

“I think when you’re playing in the NBA,” he said in front of the assembly, “the fun factor comes about when you win. So obviously in both places I won a championship and each one of them was separate from the other.”

But only after the tenure with Boston did it grow ugly, former teammates Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce as recently as a Monday studio segment during TNT’s NBA playoff coverage continuing to cast Allen in a traitor-like light for his July 2012 freeagency shift from the Celtics to the Heat.

Now, three days later, Allen had his opportunity to fire back. Instead, during a private moment he said he saw no reason or any value in such discourse, other than to

affirm that a Facebook post seemingly cast in response to the TNT discussion was not of his doing, with the page in question no longer listed as his verified account.

And yet, given the opportunity to address a similar situation, Allen offered telling words when asked about whether South Florida icon Dwyane Wade could actually move on from the Chicago Bulls after an uneven, tumultuous season despite having a $23.8 million player option to return.

“One thing I can always say, being a free agent in any situation, you’ve always got to go to your happiness. Because, at the end of the day, whatever that dollar figure is, it does have an impact on your decision, but I think at the end of the day, you have to choose where it is you’re going to be happy and where you think you’ll fit the most,” said Allen, who during the 2012 offseason turned down a larger offer from the Celtics to join the Heat. “Because 82 games is a long time to be in some place where you may not be happy or may not feel like it fits. So I think for all of us, that’s kind of the impetus behind our decision.”

As for his decision to step away from the NBA following the Heat’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals, Allen, 41, said he simply viewed a world larger than a game.

“It’s one thing to talk about what you’ve done while you played the game,” he said, “but to do more after you’ve played this game, to use what you’ve learned, use your platform.”

For Allen, that responsibility has included his work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, his appointment to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and ongoing political activism.

Of perhaps moving into politics, Allen first said Thursday, “Nowadays, it seems like Ronald McDonald could be a politician,” but added, “I would keep an open mind to it in the future as my kids grow up.”

And while he declined to talk about former Celtics teammates, he did discuss those alongside for the final two seasons of his career.

Of Chris Bosh being sidelined by blood clots, Allen said, “I was able to speak with C.B. a day or so ago. He’s in great spirits. Obviously, I don’t know if he’ll play again, but he’s loving life, enjoying being around his family.

“I’m glad that he’s safe and he’s healthy. So I think as the future presents itself, I guess he’s going to have to revisit kind of how he feels, how the body is.”

And of LeBron James moving from success with the Heat to success with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Allen said: “I mean, just to be able to see LeBron and his presence, his power, his dominance. I’m so proud of what he’s been able to accomplish.”

For his part, Allen chose to immerse himself in the South Florida community, making events such as Thursday’s rewarding.

“Miami has been good to me,” he said. “Since I finished playing here, my kids have been in school and they love their school system. Obviously, the weather, you can’t compete with it anywhere in America. But the people have been good to us. We want to make sure we continue to have a presence here from a foundation standpoint. You go around the community and you realize there are a lot of things you can do to help the people and the kids.”

Allen