Ray Allen
From Hoopedia
| Name |
|---|
| Image:.jpg |
| Position Shooting Guard |
| League NBA |
| Height 6 ft 5 |
| Weight 205 lbs |
| Team Boston Celtics |
| Born July 20,1975 in Merced, California |
| College Connecticut |
| Drafted 5th overall in 1996 by the Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Pro Career 1996 - |
| Former Teams Milwaukee Bucks (1996-2002) Seattle SuperSonics (2003-2006) |
Walter Ray Allen (born July 20, 1975) is a current professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics, for whom he plays shooting guard. Allen is known as one of the best jump shooters in the game, especially from three-point range.
Contents |
Biography
Early Life
Allen was born in Merced, California. He played high school basketball at Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, South Carolina taking them to a state championship. Allen was a highly successful college basketball player at the University of Connecticut from 1993–96. He earned All-American status during the 1994-95 season and was also named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year for 1995. In his next and final college season, Allen was named first-team All-America and received the Big East Player of the Year award.
Career
Drafted out of UConn by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, Allen was shipped, along with a future first-round draft pick, to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to fourth pick Stephon Marbury. Named to the NBA's All-Rookie 1rst Team in 1997, Allen evolved into an elite player, averaging at least 20 points per game in each of the last seven seasons.
In 2001, he won the NBA All-Star Weekend three-point contest.
He starred in the 1998 movie He Got Game, in which he played as high school basketball phenom Jesus Shuttlesworth. He worked along side Denzel Washington in the movie and said, "It was a wonderful experience".
Allen played with the Bucks for the first 6½ years of his career until 47 games into the 2002-03 season, when he, along with guards Kevin Ollie, Ronald Murray and a conditional first-round draft pick, was dealt to the Sonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. The move to Seattle did not hurt Allen's game; he bounced back from an injury-riddled 2004 to be voted to the All-NBA Second Team in 2005. Allen re-signed with the Sonics in 2005 for a 5-year contract worth $80 million, with $5 million more in performance bonuses. In the 2005-06 regular season, he averaged a career-high 25.1 points per game while adding 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
On March 12, 2006, Allen became the 97th player in NBA history to score 15,000 points. On April 7, 2006, Allen moved into second place on the NBA's list of all-time three-point field goals made in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, behind only legendary marksman Reggie Miller. On April 19, 2006, against the Denver Nuggets, Allen broke Dennis Scott's ten-year-old NBA record for three-point field goals in a season by sinking his 268th. At the end of the game, Allen received a standing ovation from the home crowd.
On January 12, 2007, Allen scored a career-high 54 points against the Utah Jazz in a 122-114 overtime win, the second most in Sonics history. Fred Brown scored 58 points for Seattle in 1974. Allen, who has missed games during the 2006-07 NBA season due to ankle soreness, has had ankle surgury and missed the rest of the season.
On February 5, 2007 his number was retired at Gampel Pavilion on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs, Ct during halftime of the men's basketball game against the Syracuse Orangemen as part of the "Huskies of Honor" ceremony which recognized the accomplishments of 13 former players and three former coaches.
Allen is a member of the famous Air Jordan brand, which is a subsidiary of Nike. The shoe label is headed by Michael Jordan and features prominent athletes from several different sports.
During the 2007 NBA Draft, Allen was traded for the 5th pick (which was ultimately Jeff Green from Georgetown) to the Boston Celtics. Ray Allen would have played with guard Allan Ray, but he was waived to play in Europe. Allen will, however, play with Paul Pierce (who was plagued with injuries in 2006-07), and Kevin Garnett, who was traded to the Celtics after Allen joined the team.
Awards/Honors
- All-NBA Second Team: 2005
- All-NBA Third Team: 2001
- 7-time NBA All-Star: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997
- NBA Joe Dumars Sportsmanship Award: 2003
- NBA All-Star Weekend Three-point Shootout champion: 2001
- Holds NBA record for most three-point field goals made in a regular season with 269 in 2005-06 [1].
- NBA regular season leader, three-point field goals attempted: 2006 (653)
- NBA all-time career three-point field goals made: 2nd with 1,920 (as of April 7, 2007)
- Holds NBA record for most seasons leading the league in three-point field goals made with 3 (2001-02 with 229, 2002-03 with 201, 2005-06 with 269)
- Shares NBA record for most three-point field goals made in one half with 8 (April 14, 2002 vs. the Charlotte Hornets).
- Holds Milwaukee Bucks franchise records for most consecutive games played (400), most career three-point field goals made (1,051), and most career three-point field goals attempted (2,587).
- Ranks 69th all time on the NBA's scoring leader list trailing Bob Cousy (as of 13-Mar-2007).
- Member of the 2000 United States Men's basketball team, which won gold at the Sydney Olympics.
