Paul Pierce reps Celtics at Tony Allen’s number retirement ceremony in Memphis
Former Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen had his number retired by the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Allen began his career with the Celtics, winning an NBA Championship in 2008, but he spent the bulk of his career with the Grizzlies.
Although the ceremony was to celebrate his accomplishments in Memphis, Allen’s former Celtics teammate Paul Pierce was in attendance as the lone Boston representative.
“That’s my brother,” Pierce said, via Matt Infield. “The day he signed [in Memphis] I was sad, I was sad he left [Boston]. But, then I thought about it, and I was like, ‘You know what, it was time for him to go.’ It was time for him to get up from under us and spread his wings.”
Allen spent six seasons with the C’s from 2004-2010. He was primarily a bench player in Boston, but made an impact as a lockdown defender. With the Grizzlies, he started more often and regularly earned Defensive Player of the Year votes.
Pierce told reporters his flight from Los Angeles to Memphis was delayed, and at times he worried it would be cancelled, but he was determined to make Allen’s number retirement.
“I was not going to miss [the ceremony],” Pierce said. “I would’ve took a private jet just to be here tonight.”
Pierce and Allen clearly had a close relationship going back to their time as Celtics teammates. Pierce said he feels like an older brother or mentor for Allen, so it was a proud moment to see the ex-Celtic get honored.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
