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The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct its 2018 class on 08 September 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. One of the member's of the class is 2-time NBA Champion, 10-time NBA all-star and All-time NBA leader in 3-point field goals - Ray Allen. He was Elected by North American Committee and will be Presented at the ceremony by Reggie Miller.
Allen is known as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He went the University of Connecticut before being drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996 as the 5th pick in the 1996 Draft. However, Allen was immediately shipped to the Bucks for Stephon Marbury.
In 2003, he was traded once again to the Seattle SuperSonics. After spending 4 years in Seattle, he was traded for a third time in his career to Boston in 2007 to play alongside Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, thus giving birth to a new Superteam in NBA which went on to become NBA champions in 2008. His final move of the career came when he took a pay cut to join the Miami Heat in 2012. This Heat Super team went on to become champions in 2013, beating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, where Allen played a HUGE role.
In his 18 seasons in NBA, he gave us a lot of moments which we will always cherish. As this legend is getting inducted in The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, we recollect the top 5 three-pointers made by him.
#5 Clutch 3 Vs. The New York Knicks
Round 1 of the 2011 Eastern Conference playoffs was all set to be played between third-seeded Boston Celtics and sixth-seeded New York Knicks.
The series which ended up in a sweep in favor of the Boston Celtics, but Game 1 had some late drama in it. The Celtics led for just 60 seconds in the second half until Ray Allen shot a clutch 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left on the game clock to beat the Knicks 87-85. With 21.0 seconds left Allen passed the ball to Paul Pierce and set up a screen for him before Kevin Garnett did the same for Allen and then the expert marksmen fired home the game-winner.
Allen finished the game with 24 points as the leading scorer for the Celtics. At the end of the game, Allen said: "We've run that play many times, it's a play that has so many options and tonight I was just the option."
#4 Dagger 3 Vs. The Chicago Bulls
It's round 1 of the Eastern Conference in 2009 when one of the greatest playoffs series till date was played between the defending champions - the Boston Celtics and the seventh-seeded Chicago Bulls, which Boston ultimately went on to win 4-3 and advance to next round. After failing to finish the job in Game 1 in overtime at home, the Celtics bounced back in Game 2 at home.
With 4 seconds left on the clock and the scores tied, it looked like this game would also go in overtime like Game 1 but Allen delivered again in the dying seconds with a dagger 3-point shot to beat the Bulls 118-115. With 12 seconds left on the clock, Rondo received the ball from inbound and Paul Pierce setting up the screen, Allen took the pass from Rondo and fired it over Joakim Noah for the win.
Allen ended up as the scoring leader for Celtics with 30 points for the night. After the game, Allen said: "I never think I'm not in my rhythm. It can be a grind as a shooter. As a scorer, you're always trying to find something.
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#3 Buzzer Beater Vs.The Phoenix Suns
Seattle SuperSonics vs. the Suns is arguably one of the most entertaining games in NBA regular season history. With both teams combining for 32 3-pointers, breaking the previous record of 31 back then for most 3-pointers in a game combined by both teams. Allen scored 42, including 8 three-pointers.
With scores tied 149-149 with 2 seconds left in double overtime, Allen dropped a 35-foot bomb to beat the buzzer which ended Sonics four-game losing streak, which turned out to be an important road win for them back then. "When I was open, I just knew it was time to make a shot," Allen said.
This was Allen's one of the most memorable moment in Sonics uniform.
#2 The 2,561st Three-Pointer
On February 10, 2011, Ray Allen became the all-time NBA leader in total 3-point field goals made, eclipsing Reggie Miller's record of 2,560. The record-breaking three came playing against the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden with 1:48 left in the first quarter.
The record-breaker came on a transition basket on a pass from Rondo with Allen being wide open and burring the 3-pointer for the record. After the three he went over to Miller, who was sitting at courtside as an analyst and fist bumped Kobe Bryant on returning to court. Allen took 6,430 shots to reach the record at a rate of 39.8.
Allen after breaking the record: "It just seems like it happened so fast, when I got to the start of the season, it was somewhat painstaking because I had, I don't know what it was, 120, 130 3s away,and I was like, 'I could do it this season, or I could do it next season.' And it just went by so fast. You look up and I'm at 90, then 50, then 30. You look up, it's February and the season's gone by pretty quick. But it's just happened. I'm sitting here thinking I'm right at four now, it just happened. It's like I blinked. It didn't seem like anything, just play regular basketball, do your job and 'Voila!' you're sitting here. That's pretty much how my whole career has been".
He finished his career with 2,973 3-pointers, a record which remains to be broken till date.
#1 The Shot
This without a doubt, is Allen's most clutch moment in his career. It's Game 6 of 2013 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena. Spurs leading the series 3-2 going into the game. With 20 seconds left on the clock, some heat fans had already left arena when yellow tapes and ropes came all around the court.
With 8.2 seconds left on the clock and score being 95-92 in favor of the Spurs, Chris Bosh grabs a crucial offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer from LeBron James, with both LeBron and Mario Chalmers free, Allen backpedals to the corner where Bosh finds him and Allen forces the game to overtime with that dagger. Not only did the Heat win the game, they went on to capture the NBA title by winning the crucial Game 7.
When asked about the famous shot by the Atheltic recently, he said: "I don’t rate my shots, but it was special. There are so many shots that I have been a part of. The shot is one thing, but I know what I have done to get in that position. The things that happen in practice mean more to me than anything. The games are what fans see, but practices are really how I was made"
