As emotional as the reaction to Isaiah Thomas being traded away from the Boston Celtics this NBA off-season has been, it doesn't hold a candle to the fallout of Ray Allen's decision to leave and join the Miami Heat in 2012.
Allen was an important part of the 'Big 3' along with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who were complimented so well by Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, but by leaving as a free agent to play with LeBron in Miami, he was considered a backstabber.
The fact that his contract was the last to be restructured and both Pierce and Garnett had agreed to stay on with the assumption that Allen would be there caused a lot of anger, and he became a figure of hate in Boston.
Here is Allen giving his account of things last year, when it looked as though the bridges had been burnt.
But as it turns out, time heals wounds and Paul Pierce has buried the hatchet with Ray Allen now that both men have retired.
Pierce and Allen met each other at a celebrity basketball game in China, and after talking things out posed for a picture which The Truth then posted to Instagram telling his fans the special bond they formed on the way to an NBA title in 2008 was unbreakable.
It's a great thing to see for most Boston Celtics fans, although many of them don't give a shit and will continue to hate Ray Allen forever, such is the nature of following a sports team in Massachusetts.
As nice as it is, it's also highly unlikely that Kevin Garnett will share Pierce's sympathy.
Allen did win another NBA title with the Heat in 2013, and was a hugely influential figure in doing so, but he will never be remembered as fondly as Paul Pierce will be for staying loyal, and although The Truth never did win another championship ring, he will become the first Celtic to have his jersey retired since 2003 later this year.
