Just when everyone thought that Kobe Bryant was the last player to retire from the fabled draft class of 1996, we are reminded that Ray Allen hasn’t officially called it quits yet.
That was the case until today when the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers announced that he is officially retiring through a message he penned to his younger self in The Players’ Tribune.
“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’s transformation from being a high-flyer into becoming one of the best shooters the game has ever seen is as remarkable as the trail that he is leaving behind.
10 All-Star appearances, an Olympic gold medal, and two NBA championships top the list of the former UConn Huskie’s accomplishments. But the most significant legacy of Allen goes beyond the tangible items. The work ethic and discipline that he has maintained through 19 years of playing is that of legend status.
Selected fifth by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996, Ray Allen was traded on draft night to the Milwaukee Bucks where he spent seven seasons. He then went on to play for the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat.
With everything that he has done, the legendary shooter will now await his turn to be inducted in the Hall of Fame sometime into the near future.
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