Ray Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018.
52 Facts About Ray Allen
2.
Ray Allen played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies for three seasons, gaining a reputation as an efficient long-range shooter.
3.
Ray Allen entered the NBA in 1996 as the fifth overall selection.
4.
However, the trio were unable to capture a championship, and Ray Allen was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics.
5.
Ray Allen remained with the franchise for five seasons, before departing in free agency to join the Miami Heat for two seasons.
6.
In Miami, Ray Allen accepted a reserve role, emphasizing spot-up and clutch shooting, which allowed him to capture another championship in 2013.
7.
The third of five children, Ray Allen was born at Castle Air Force Base near Merced, California, the son of Walter Sr.
8.
When he first arrived, the young Ray Allen was often made the odd-man-out, whom kids often picked on, due to the accent acquired during his formative years in Britain.
9.
In that game, Ray Allen showed his NBA potential by posting an impressive 25 points, to go along with 12 rebounds, in a blowout victory for Hillcrest Wildcats.
10.
Amid the resulting attention from colleges, especially from the University of Kentucky, Ray Allen ultimately accepted an offer from the University of Connecticut.
11.
Ray Allen attended the University of Connecticut from 1993 to 1996.
12.
Ray Allen was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team.
13.
Ray Allen was named the Big East Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Big East.
14.
In January 2001, Ray Allen was named honorary captain of the 25-member UConn All-Century Basketball Team.
15.
In May 2023, Ray Allen graduated from UConn with a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies.
16.
Ray Allen was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth pick of the 1996 NBA draft.
17.
On July 24,1996, Ray Allen signed a 3-year, $6.2 million contract with the Bucks.
18.
Ray Allen made his NBA debut on November 1,1996, where he started and played 28 minutes and scored 13 points in a win against fellow rookie Ray Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.
19.
On January 12,1997, Ray Allen put in one of his strongest efforts of the season in a win against the Golden State Warriors, contributing 22 points, 6 assists, 3 steals and a new career high of 9 rebounds.
20.
In February 1997, Ray Allen competed in the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend, where he finished fourth.
21.
On December 20,1997, Ray Allen set a new career high of 35 points against the New York Knicks.
22.
On February 7,2001, Ray Allen recorded his first career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against the Boston Celtics.
23.
Ray Allen recorded a new playoff career high with 41 points in a Game 6 victory over the 76ers, but the Bucks ultimately lost in seven games.
24.
In July 2005, Ray Allen signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the SuperSonics.
25.
On March 12,2006, Ray Allen became the 97th player in NBA history to score 15,000 points.
26.
On February 13,2008, Ray Allen was named as the replacement for injured East All-Star Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards, who was out with a left hip flexor strain, for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
27.
On March 28,2008, Ray Allen was honored as the 3rd best of the 20 greatest players in franchise history during Milwaukee's 40th Anniversary Team Celebration, but could not attend the festivities because of the Celtics' game against the New Orleans Hornets.
28.
In that game, Ray Allen would make the game clinching layup with 16.4 seconds remaining to give the Celtics a 5-point lead and put the game away.
29.
On February 5,2009, Ray Allen was named as the All-Star replacement for Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson.
30.
On February 22,2009, with his streak ending at 72, Ray Allen broke the Celtics franchise record in consecutive free throws made previously set by Larry Bird.
31.
In game 2 however, Ray Allen nailed the game winning three-pointer at the end of regulation with two seconds left to cap off an impressive 30 point night.
32.
In Game 6, despite a Boston loss, Ray Allen managed to score 51 points.
33.
Ray Allen reunited with former teammate and co-captain of the Seattle SuperSonics, Rashard Lewis in the Conference Semifinals, that time as opponents, however.
34.
On December 10,2009, Ray Allen scored 18 points to reach the 20,000 point total for his career.
35.
Ray Allen broke Michael Jordan's record of six three-pointers in one half by hitting seven in the first half and had tied Scottie Pippen and Kenny Smith's record for most three-pointers in one game in the NBA Finals by half time.
36.
Ray Allen became the first player in NBA history to have two separate games of scoring at least seven three-pointers in the NBA Finals.
37.
Also during All-Star Weekend, Ray Allen competed in the Three-Point Shootout, but lost to James Jones of the Miami Heat.
38.
Ray Allen was reportedly seeking a three-year, $24 million contract whereas the Celtics were offering a two-year, $12 million deal.
39.
In Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, as the Heat trailed by three points, Ray Allen made a game-tying 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
40.
Ray Allen played 41 minutes in Game 6 off the bench and scored 9 points on 3-for-8 field goal shooting; his game-tying three-pointer was the only three-pointer he made in three attempts.
41.
In July 2016, Ray Allen began mulling a comeback, and admitted he was "intrigued" by the possibility of competing for another championship.
42.
In September 2018, Ray Allen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
43.
In February 2019, Ray Allen played in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
44.
In October 2021, Ray Allen was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
45.
Ray Allen was named in the top 75 players by The Athletic.
46.
In 1998, Ray Allen co-starred alongside Denzel Washington in the Spike Lee film He Got Game as high school basketball phenomenon Jesus Shuttlesworth.
47.
Ray Allen appeared as Marcus Blake in the 2001 film Harvard Man.
48.
In 2015, Allen co-starred alongside Kyrie Irving, Baron Davis and J B Smoove as Walt in the fourth episode of "Uncle Drew", a series of Pepsi Max advertisements written and directed by Irving.
49.
Ray Allen started the "Ray of Hope" Foundation to assist charities in several communities.
50.
Ray Allen is a longtime supporter of the Holocaust Memorial Museum and has brought teammates and friends to the museum on frequent visits.
51.
On November 21,2017, Ray Allen said in a court filing that he was the victim of "catfishing" by a man who posed online as several different women.
52.
On July 18,2021, Ray Allen suffered injuries in a serious bicycle crash, and he credited his bicycle helmet with effectively saving his life.