Tony Allen: Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce once offered $30k watch to make Rookie Challenge game

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/08/tony_allen_boston_celtics_grea.html



Tony Allen: Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce once offered $30k watch to make Rookie Challenge game



Posted on August 4, 2017 at 4:53 PM



Tony Allen on when Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce offered him a $30k watch


By Tom Westerholm



Former Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen made an appearance at the Basketball Hall of Fame's 60 Days of Summer program on Friday, talking about a wide variety of topics, including his time with the Celtics, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and much more.

Allen was so entertaining, we will break this into five things we learned from his talk.

1. Tony Allen still says "Ubuntu" to his 2008 Celtics teammates.

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Tom Westerholm ✔ @Tom_NBA
Tony Allen is at the Hall of Fame today. He says he still says "ubuntu" to the rest of the 2008 Celtics team.
1:21 PM - Aug 4, 2017
4 4 Replies   46 46 Retweets   228 228 likes


Allen was, of course, a member of the 2008 Celtics team that stormed to the NBA Finals, where they dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. During that stretch, the Celtics' rallying word was "Ubuntu," a South African phrase that refers to a bond of sharing that connects all humanity. It was a concept Rivers used to motivate the Celtics' trio of stars to sacrifice for the good of the team.

Allen said the Celtics still refer to that phrase when they see each other. He might not totally remember what it means, though.

"The meaning of it is just basically in order for us to be better, I have to be a better person for us to collectively gather a task," Allen said. "We used that word to let the other brother know I'm working for you -- keep working. We kept that word through the championship."


Close enough!


2. Paul Pierce motivated Allen with very lucrative prizes.

Watch the video above, since hearing Allen tell the story is much better, but Pierce once offered Allen $2,000 to get five dunks in a Summer League game (Allen came through).

"Paul Pierce didn't know me from a can of paint," Allen said.

Pierce also once offered Allen a $30,000 Jacob & Co. watch to make the Rookie Challenge game (Allen came through again). Allen credited Pierce with being a motivator for him in his first season.

"When I first got to Boston, he just took a liking to me," Allen said. "I don't know if it's because I'm from Chicago, I'm rough around the edges, I'm not sure. He kinda put like a battery to my back."


3. Allen is as curious to see where he ends up as the rest of us.

Allen is an unrestricted free agent, but he hasn't signed anywhere yet.

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Tom Westerholm ✔ @Tom_NBA
Interviewer: "I can't wait to see where free agent Tony Allen lands next year."

Tony Allen: "Yeah, me either man."
1:30 PM - Aug 4, 2017
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Allen is a poor shooter, but he remains one of the absolute best on-ball defenders in the league. If he doesn't land a contract somewhere, it will be an enormous surprise.

4. "Grit And Grind" started because Allen took a shot at Rudy Gay.

Once before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, during Allen's first season in Memphis, Rudy Gay sat out due to a toe injury.

Allen was less than impressed.

"Rudy Gay said 'I'm not playing this game, my toe hurts,'" Allen said. "'I said, your toe hurt? Your toe hurt? You just did a windmill dunk last night, your toe wasn't ...' I said 'Alright, your toe hurt.'"

Allen went on to guard Kevin Durant instead of James Harden.

"To make a long story short, we win," Allen said. "Y'all can YouTube this too, in case you think it's fabricated. I was so upset with Rudy for not playing ... I end up having 27 points, eight rebounds and like five steals. Mind you, I hadn't played in 22-some-odd games, and this is to let you know how in shape I was. Durant had like 35, but they lost. When they gave me my interview, the first thing I said was, 'It's just all heart. Grit and grind.' That's how that phrase blossomed in Memphis. I was still upset. That was really a jab at Rudy Gay. But he's my man today, I've forgiven him for that. But yeah, that's where it started at in Memphis."

Worth noting: Tony Allen did indeed score 27 points and finish with five steals against Oklahoma City on Feb. 8, and he did indeed say "It's all heart. Grit. Grind."




5. Allen believes Kobe Bryant shot 30 percent in the 2010 NBA Finals.

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Tom Westerholm ✔ @Tom_NBA
Tony Allen also wanted to make sure we all knew Kobe Bryant shot 30 percent in the 2010 Finals. (Fact check: It was 40.4)
1:28 PM - Aug 4, 2017
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Allen was (and remains) a phenomenal defender, but it doesn't appear he had this particular stat right.

Still, Allen was known for making things difficult for his opponents, including Kobe.


"And I asked for no help," Allen said. "I don't need no help. He'll tell you. Kobe will tell you. Like a lot of guys you play against, he gets to backing them down, and they'll be like 'Help, help.' People who play basketball, y'all know."



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