Changing of the Guards: Ray Allen Makes History
There will never be a universally recognized Greatest Shooter Ever in the NBA. But as long as there is an NBA, there will be a debate over who the league’s greatest, smoothest, most natural shooters are. And one name more than all but a few others will weigh-in heavily on that debate.
Ray Allen.
On Thursday night, at home against the Lakers, Ray Allen further separated himself from the rest of the basketball world by becoming the all-time NBA leader in 3-pointers made, breaking Reggie Miller’s previous record of 2,560. Allen not only entered Thursday night’s Championship rematch needing only two more 3’s to break Miller’s mark (he made 3), but also took the floor last night averaging a career high in three-point percentage (46%).
There has never been a 3-point shooter liker Ray Allen, and currently, Allen himself has never been hitting 3’s the way he is in 2011.
The 35-year old Allen, a ten-time All-Star, in his 15th season in the NBA, was drafted 5th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996. But between then and a decade-and-a-half later, Allen has not slowed-up a step, in fact, just the opposite; Allen is actually having a career season, despite his veteran years, averaging a career high in field goal percentage (51%) and a career low in turnovers per game (1.55). Moreover, entering Thursday’s game with Kobe and the Lakers, Ray had at least 21 points in four of his last five games and also had at least two 3-pointers in each of his last ten games.
With all due respects to Sir Reggie Miller, Ray Allen reached the mark of 2,560 3-pointers made with a higher 3-point percentage, reached the mark in 3 less seasons than Miller, and attempted less 3-pointers than Reggie Miller did. Reggie Miller had his day as the greatest shooter of his era, but even a shooter of Reggie’s caliber is forced to bow before the skills of Ray Allen.
Thursday’s Championship-rematch between the Lakers and Celtics, which ended in a 92-86 victory for L.A., is always a huge draw for the NBA in terms of viewers—because it is one of the NBA’s most storied rivalries. These match-ups have echoes with names like “Magic” and “Bird”, but now this historic fraternity has another, equally as historic, member: “Ray”.
Despite coming in a losing effort Thursday night, Ray Allen came one step closer to becoming not only one of the greatest Celtics players ever, but also one of the NBA’s most natural shooters in it’s history.
The next time you watch Ray Allen look-to-shoot from behind the 3-point line, the question in your mind shouldn’t be whether or not Ray Allen’s making the basket (because he probably is), but whether or not Ray Allen is one of the purest, most gifted shooters the NBA has ever seen.
