Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett finally reconciled this last month, when they met at the NBA 75 ceremony at All-Star weekend. After that, the Boston Celtics invited Ray Allen to the jersey retirement ceremony of Kevin Garnett this past month, which Allen was glad to attend. But he missed a significant civic duty to do so and was punished for the same.
Ray Allen was fined by a U.S district judge for skipping jury duty. His jury duty fell on the same night as Kevin Garnett’s jersey retirement. Allen missed the trial as it happened, and was not part of the jury that eventually delivered a verdict. For his negligence, Allen was fined $1,000 by the judge.
“Ray Allen, the NBA Hall of Famer who starred for the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, took center stage on a very different kind of court Wednesday. Allen, dressed in a dark suit and tie, was ordered to appear in the Miami courtroom of U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke for failing to show up after he was selected as a juror for a deadly carjacking trial. It started without him last week and ended Tuesday with guilty verdicts against a South Florida man accused of fatally shooting the car’s driver. Cooke called a foul on the 19-year NBA veteran, 10-time all-star, and two-time league champion, telling him he had disrespected the court and his fellow jurors for failing to fulfill his duty on the 12-person federal jury. Cooke also ordered Allen, 46, to donate $1,000 to a charity of his choice, noting in an order that ‘no man or woman is above performing that civic duty’… Mr. Allen’s actions in failing to appear for jury duty are both baffling and disconcerting’ Cooke wrote in her show-cause order.
Allen will not mind the punishment, as a small fine as a charitable donation is a small price to pay for him being able to attend KG’s jersey retirement ceremony. The two players had been at odds for a long time over Allen’s departure from the Boston Celtics, and have finally made peace with each other. Allen was not going to miss the event.
Allen, KG, and Paul Pierce formed a commanding trio, one that led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship. The memories they forged together were very strong, and fans were thrilled to see the trio back together and happy to be near each other after a long time.
