All Things Basketball with GD - Player Spotlight for Week 8, Ray Allen

Player spotlight (00:31)

Ray Allen: 6'5", 205 LB, SG

Born Walter Ray Allen Jr in Merced, CA (7/20/75); on the Castle Air Force Base to parents Flora & Walter Allen Sr

A child of a military family that lived in England, Germany, Oklahoma & South Carolina (his high school years)

In Daizell, SC (Sumter County) he attend Hillcrest HS

Had an English accent; was picked on because of that

Stood out thanks to his athletic ability & work ethic

Growth spurt led him to concentrate fully on basketball

Led Hillcrest HS in his senior year to state title, dropped 25 pts & 12 reb in that game

Decided to go to UConn over University of Kentucky

Spent 3 years under coach Jim Calhoun; finished career as UConn's 3rd all time leading scorer

All-American & Big East Player of the Week in his last season, won BE Tourney over Allen Iverson's Georgetown Hoyas

He & standout Rebecca Lobo became 1st players to have jerseys retired at UConn

Drafted in 1996 as the 5th overall pick by MIN; traded away with Andrew Lang to MIL for 4th overall pick Stephon Marbury

In rookie season, started in all but one game; appeared in Dunk Contest that season

Made 1st All Star appearance his 4th season (1999-2000) while finishing as MIL's leading scorer

Chosen to compete in 1st 3 Point Shootout & won, beating Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Allan Houston & Peja Stojakovic

Later that year he, Sam Cassell & Glenn Robinson went to the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to PHI in 7 games

In 2002-03 halfway thru the season he was included in a package deal to SEA for Gary Payton & Desmond Mason

In 2003-04 he played only 55 games due to injuries but bounces back the season after

2 years later, averaged a career high of 26.4 PPG (includes a career high 54 pts vs UTA); again played only 55 games that season (ankle surgeries)

That offseason, was dealt with Glen Davis to BOS for a package of players & picks

In BOS, captured his 1st NBA title (2007-08) with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce & Rajon Rondo; 4 games to 2 over LAL

In 2008-09 his BOS team lost in the EC semis to ORL 4-3

In 2009-10 BOS made it back to the NBA Finals but lost to LAL, 4-3

For the next 2 seasons BOS Big 3 of him, Garnett & Pierce could not overtake MIA's Big 3 of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade & Chris Bosh as they knocked them out of the playoffs in consecutive years

After 2011-12 season he became a free agent & after feeling somewhat underappreciated & disrespected by the BOS front office he signs with MIA

In 2012-13, was a key bench player in MIA's run to an NBA title

In Game 6 in those Finals vs SAS he hit what many say is the biggest shot of his career (3PG that sent game to OT & won)

After 2013-14 season he became a free agent again; ends up sitting out the season

Upon some consideration of joining either BOS or MIL he ultimately decided to call it a career & officially retired in 2016

Finished career as #1 in 3PGs made (regular season & playoffs)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame (2018) & this year named to NBA's 75th Anniversary Team

CAREER

MIL: 7 seasons, 3 All Star appearances

SEA: 5 seasons, 4 AS appearances

BOS: 5 seasons, 3 AS appearances, 1 NBA championship

MIA: 2 seasons, 1 NBA championship

2 time All-NBA, led NBA in 3PGs made 3 times, only player to drop 7 3PGs in a Finals game twice, most 3PGs in a Finals series (22), holds BOS record for consecutive FTs made (72, beating Larry Bird's 71), won gold medal for USA Basketball (2000), won the Joe Dumars Sportsmanship Award (2003)

His acting credits: playing Jesus Shuttlesworth opposite Denzel Washington in Spike Lee directed He Got Game; also Harvard Man & commercial Uncle Drew, Chapter 4

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