KEY POINTS

  • Kevin Garnett won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008
  • Ray Allen joined the Miami Heat in 2012, a decision that did not sit well with his Celtics teammates
  • The 2004 MVP did not mention Allen nor Rajon Rondo in his Hall of Fame speech

Kevin Garnett had plenty of acknowledgments in his Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 enshrinement on Saturday, where he was inducted alongside greats like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and more.

The Minnesota Timberwolves legend mentioned several key individuals and groups that played a part throughout his career—all-time legends, coaches and more.

However, two noticeable names whose careers intertwined with the "Big Ticket" were absent from the 2004 NBA MVP's speech: Garnett's Boston Celtics teammates Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.

An observant New York Times writer Sopan Deb caught the seeming exclusions on his Twitter account, noting that Garnett "shouts out Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson in his [Hall of Fame] speech, but not Ray Allen or [Rajon] Rondo."

Garnett, alongside Class of 2021 Inductee Paul Pierce, Allen and Rondo joined forces to bring a championship to the Celtics back in 2008 when they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals, 4-2.

Their five-year run with the Celtics transformed the team into a consistent playoff contender, which included two Eastern Conference championships.

But Allen's infamous decision in 2012 to join the Miami Heat did not sit well with the members of the Celtics.

The sharpshooter and Class of 2018 Hall of Famer eventually won a championship in Florida in 2013, helping the Heat's "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Garnett, a 15-time All-Star, and Pierce, on the other hand, were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a megadeal where they became teammates with Lopez, Johnson and former All-Star Deron Williams.

The members of the 2008 Celtics went as far as excluding Allen from their reunion, with the former Seattle Supersonics star being called a " traitor."

Interestingly, Rondo's exclusion also became a talking point, although Deb noted there is "no beef" between the playmaker and Garnett.

Rondo signed with the Lakers in 2018 and won the 2020 title to become only one of two players to claim rings for two rival franchises.

It is not clear if Garnett was conscious in the delivery of his speech, or he plainly forgot to include them.

Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves
Kevin Garnett participates in warmups for the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Jan. 19, 2016, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Stacy Revere/Getty Images
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