Rivals turn into idols in not only the NBA, and the Miami Heat, but the entirety of sports. In the 2011 NBA free agency, Miami Heat executive Pat Riley made a call to Ray Allen and tried to convince him to join the Heat that offseason. Although he won a championship with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and the Boston Celtics, Riley has that championship instinct.
He knows what goes into a championship team. After the Heat knocked the Celtics out of the Eastern Conference Finals that season and won the first NBA title with LeBron James, Riley took advantage of a reeling Celtics team and Allen's final few years of his career. Allen even hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history with the Heat.
“Even the thought that Ray would leave Boston to come that was a hard sell, so we didn’t oversell Ray on it, we sort of let Ray make his decision,” Riley said. “When he came that obviously upset Kevin (Garnett) and Paul (Pierce) from that standpoint but that was the significant last get for that team to win back-to-back titles to this day… Ray was a significant get. You’ve got to keep re-energizing the Big 3 with other players that can help them win it.”
Pat Riley knew that Ray Allen would bring new energy to the Heat, and the Big 3
Allen was an established player who knew his role and excelled in it. After being a primary scorer with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Seattle SuperSonics, he went to the Celtics. They used him as a spot-up shooter and someone to space the floor for Garnett and Pierce. Not to mention, they had Rajon Rondo facilitating at point guard. Boston didn't need Allen to be a prolific scorer but they needed his shooting.
Although spacing wasn't as important as it is today, it was vital in the Celtics offense. Having a four-out, one-in offense guided the Celtics offensively and teams didn't have an answer. When Allen left Boston for Miami, many were furious. His teammates and fans were among many who were irate. Even some of his former Celtics teammates like Garnett didn't want to speak to Allen again after what he did.
Regardless, Allen secured two more championships out of it and almost had a third. He joined LeBron James during his prime, as well as Dwyane Wade, who was still in his. Being an X-factor on a team like that was all the former Celtic sharpshooter needed.
