Ray Allen, the NBA’s all-time 3-point shooter announced his retirement after 18 years, 1,300 regular season games, two championships and 10 All-Star game apperances.
In a post to The Players’ Tribune, Allen — in the tradition of others who have announced retirements on the website — wrote a letter to his younger self which culminated in the retirement announcement.
“I write this to you today as a 41-year-old man who is retiring from the game. I write to you as a man who is completely at peace with himself,” Allen wrote.
Allen spent his nearly two-decade career with the Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston and Miami averaging 18.9 points per game. He had the record for 3-pointers in a season for seven years, his mark of 269 standing until Stephen Curry of Golden State made 272 in 2012-13 — a record Curry has topped twice.
But overall, he made 2,973 3-point shots in regular season games, but his most unforgettable was in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs which tied the game as the clock was running out, pushing it toward a win for the Miami Heat a Game 7 in the series, which Miami won.
Allen also appeared in Spike Lee’s “He Got Game” as a college basketball prospect from Brooklyn, starring alongside Denzel Washington. He has not played since becoming a free agent in 2014, but also did not sign with a team for the 2015-2016 season either.
He entertained thoughts about a comeback over the last two years and had plenty of opportunities from title-contending teams. But nothing ever lured him back, although the door always remained a tiny bit open — until now.
“Now, the most important question in your life isn’t, ‘Who am I supposed to be? or even, ‘What do I have to do to win another championship?’ Allen wrote on The Players’ Tribune. “It’s, ‘Daddy, guess what happened in math class today?’ That’s the reward that awaits you at the end of your journey.”
Image: Associated Press
