Posey is Still a Celtic

James Posey came into the locker room after we lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to Miami Heat, and he's forever a Celtic.

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If you are a long-time Boston Celtics fan like some of us (1974), tradition means something to you. With the Celtics, part of that tradition (a very large part) is the players. They become like members of your own family once you've rooted for them long enough. 

Which is why way back on October 28, 2007, I proposed that Danny Ainge arrange for members of the 1986 Celticschampionship to participate in the next banner-hoisting ceremony via a private,closed-circuit party. I mean, you couldn't expect the GM's of the Indiana Pacers and the Minnesota Timberwolves to attend the ceremony in public, especially after McHale had been accused by Laker fans of turning down a better trade (Odom/Bynum) for a worse trade (Al Jefferson and picks), simply because McHale hates the Lakers and once played for the Celtics.

Turns out Ainge, Bird, and McHale decided to throw a virtual banner-hoisting ceremony for themselves. First there were reports of the text message Larry Bird sent to Danny Ainge midway through the third quarter of game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals. Then, we learned, Kevin McHale texted Ainge shortly thereafter with a similar message.

I'm sure Bill Walton got in on the fun, too.

Of course, it seemed like just about every living Celtic, short of Dave Cowens, was in the stands that night (and Cowens was featured two years later in the ECF championship celebration). Further proof that a family that wins together, stays together.

And so it meant something to me that James Posey, aka "Nails," was still hanging with the team last spring. Posey left the team, but never left the family.

Can the same be said for Ray Allen?

I think not.

Posey, a role player for most of his career (well, let's be honest, all of his career), never made much money until he cashed-in with the Hornets the year after he was arguably Sixth-Man of the Year for the C's. Everyone understands this. He left for more money to support himself and his family. An NBA player's career is short, and you can't blame them for being fiscally responsible while there is money on the table.

Which bring us back to Ray Allen.

He left the Celtics for less money, quite a bit less.

He also left to join the team that beat the Celtics in the ECFs.

This doesn't seem like family to me.

No, this sounds like someone who abandoned his wife when someone younger and prettier came along. Worse, he seems like he was sticking it to his then current wife by having a fling with a particularly obnoxious floozy.

I've already told you what I think of that.

I'm not likely to change my mind any time soon.