Report: Former Celtic Ray Allen May Opt for Retirement

BOSTON.COM

Jeff Pini

Boston.com Staff
DECEMBER 27, 2014 11:06 AM

It was reported late this week that former Celtics guard Ray Allen may forgo a possible return to the NBA and instead opt for retirement. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Ray Allen may have come to the end of his basketball road.

The former Celtics guard and two-time NBA champion may not return to the league and is “leaning toward retiring,” according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. It was believed that as many as seven teams were interested in bringing in the 39-year-old this season, including the Cavaliers, Clippers, Warriors, Spurs, Bulls, Wizards, and Grizzlies.

A 10-time All-Star, Allen holds the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers, having converted 2,973 times from beyond the arc, 413 more than No. 2 Reggie Miller.

Allen became a star in the late-90s with the Milwaukee Bucks and later with the Seattle SuperSonics, but will always be known in Boston after the deal that brought him to the Celtics in exchange for Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West in the summer of 2007. That trade, along with the one Danny Ainge swung with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire Kevin Garnett, turned the Celtics from a league doormat into an instant championship contender virtually overnight.

The 2007-08 season turned out to be the Celtics’ finest campaign in two decades, as the C’s rolled to an NBA best 66-16 record and went on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, capturing the team’s first title since 1986. The C’s were one game away from a second title in 2010, but blew a 3-2 series lead to the Lakers as the latter won their second straight NBA championship.

Allen played five seasons in Boston from 2007-08 through 2011-12, starting all but four of 358 games, and averaged 16.7 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Despite two trips to the NBA Finals and one championship with the Celtics, Allen’s departure from Boston was unceremonious, as the end of his Celtics tenure was marred with reported tension between him and emerging star Rajon Rondo. After Allen signed with LeBron James and the rival Miami Heat just after Miami ended Boston’s chances for a third Finals appearance in five seasons, Garnett was quoted as saying “ I don’t have Ray’s phone number anymore.”

Allen played two seasons for the Heat and won his second NBA championship ring in 2013, while Garnett and Paul Pierce were traded away that summer, officially ending the Celtics’ six-year run as one of the top teams in the NBA.

112288

See you in the HOF RA.

didn't he retire a couple years ago?

It's about that time, I suppose. He hasn't played so it appeared to be a foregone conclusion at this point.


KJ

k_j_88 wrote:It's about that time, I suppose. He hasn't played so it appeared to be a foregone conclusion at this point.


KJ

KJ,

Ray has two rings. One as a starter and one as a key rotation player. He doesn't need a "PJ Brown comeback".

Have a nice trip to Springfield, Ray, you've earned it.



bob



.

I dont know who that is....I think I lost his number.