Ray Allen says he understands the "sadness and hurt" people in New England about his move from the Celtics to the Heat because, to an extent, he feels it too.
"We feel the loss, the sense of loss that we're going to have, not being in that community," Allen said Wednesday in his introductory press conference as a member of the Heat. "And that's understandable. But we know we're still a part of that community, we're still a part of New England, we still live in Connecticut. Our home is still in Boston. So that's not going to change about how we feel about the people there."
And as for the people who consider him a traitor?
"It doesn't bother me. It doesn't bother me. I know who I am, I know what my everyday goal or tasks are, and that's to raise my kids to be respectable people in this world. And to make this team better."
Some other portions of the press conference:
On whether he contacted his ex-teammates to let them know he would sign with Miami:
When I knew I was leaving, I actually sent a text out to Kevin, to let him know . . . He said Danny Ainge would step up to the plate, and I said, 'We'll see.' "
On the reactions of Ainge and Doc Rivers when they found out he was leaving:
"They were disappointed . . . They really wanted me to come back. We won a lot together in five years. It's a lot of basketball, a lot of time spent. I think it's going to be good for them that I'm not around because they don't have to pay me on the golf course any more when I keep beating up them. But, you know, they were disappointed . . . Like I said, it's saddening for me and my family because those are the relationships that we won't have on a daily basis in our lives. They're friends of mine forever."
Boston Celtics
More to come . . .