Ray Allen

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{{Infobox Pro athlete |name = Ray Allen |image = Ray Allen.jpg |league = NBA |height = 1.96 m (6 ft 5in) |weight = 93 kg (205 lb) |position = Shooting guard |birth_date = July 20, 1975 |birth_place = Merced, CA |death_date = |death_place = |team = Seattle SuperSonics |college = University of Connecticut |nationality = United States |draft = 5^th Overall |draft_team = Minnesota Timberwolves |draft_year = 1996 |career_start = 1996 |career_end = present |awards = NBA allstar 3 point champion }} Walter Ray Allen (born July 20 1975 in Merced, California) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics, for whom he plays shooting guard. Allen is known as one of the best pure jump shooters in the game, especially from long range.

1 Career
2 Awards/honors
3 Trivia
4 External links

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Career

Allen was a highly successful college basketball player at the University of Connecticut, where he earned All-American status in 1995 (a year in which he was also named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year and Big East Player of the Year) and 1996. Drafted out of UConn by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, Allen was immediately shipped, along with a future first-round draft pick, to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Stephon Marbury.

Allen has found tremendous success in the NBA as well. After being named to the NBA's All-Rookie 2nd Team in 1997, Allen evolved into a truly elite player, averaging at least 19.5 points per 40 minutes in each season since, plus posting a career 19.90 PER. He is regarded as one of the best pure shooters in NBA history, having won the NBA All-Star Weekend three-point contest in 2001; additionally, he has made nearly 40% of his three-point attempts and 90% of his free throw attempts over the course of his career.

Allen played with the Bucks for the first 6½ years of his career until 47 games into the 2002–2003 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 has not adversely affected Allen's game, however, as he bounced back from an injury-riddled 2004 to be voted to the All-NBA Second Team in 2005.

Allen re-signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2005 for a 5-year contract worth $80 million, with $5 million more in performance bonuses. Through 59 games, he is averaging 24.9 points, 3.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game this season, while shooting 45% and 40% from the field and three-point line, respectively.

On March 12, 2006, Allen became the 97th player to reach the 15,000-point plateau in his career.

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 a ten-year old record for most three-point field goals in a season (267), after he made his 268th and 269th. At the end of the game, Allen received a standing ovation by the home crowd.

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Awards/honors

All-NBA Second Team: 2005
All-NBA Third Team: 2001
6-time NBA All-Star: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
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 1,755 (as of 2006)
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).
Member of the 2000 United States Men's basketball team, which won gold at the Sydney Olympics.

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Trivia

Allen played high school basketball for the former Hillcrest High School (succeeded by Crestwood High School) in Dalzell, South Carolina, taking them to a state championship.
He starred as "Jesus Shuttlesworth" in the Spike Lee film He Got Game, where he played a star high school basketball player.

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