Hooray Ray Allen!

Don’t you know that you are a shooting star?  And all the world will love you just as long, as long as you are, a shooting star.  -Bad Company

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  Ray Allen came out of the womb knocking down threes.  Knock knock.  Who’s there?  Ray Allen, bitch!  Ray Ray is one of the most accurate 3-point shooters in NBA history.  He is a nine-time NBA All-Star.  He is a World Champion.  He won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 2000 United States Men’s Basketball Team.  You can add someting else to that resume.  You can add 20,000 point scorer.  Yup, Sugar Ray Allen just reached the 20,000-point milestone last night.  Hip hip hoo-Ray!  That makes him the sixth player to reach that plateau while playing for the Celtics.  He joins Kevin Garnett.  He joins Gary Payton.  He joins Robert Parish, Larry Bird and John Havlicek.  No other team has had six players reach the 20K-point milestone while wearing its colors.  Pretty good huh?  So is this:  Allen has made 89.4 percent of his career free throws, the highest among the 33 players with at least 20,000 points.  If you liked that, you’ll love this:

Ray Allen is a scorer.  Like dear old bubbe used to say, he’s no schnorer.  The prototype of a shooting guard.  Poetry in motion.  As deep as any ocean.  As sweet as any harmony.  Especially sweet from beyond the arc.  But don’t be fooled.  He can, and will, drive to the basket.  Don’t believe me?  Just ask Sasha Vujacic.

The thing I love most about about Ray is he is a gamer.  A Hall of famer.  What’s my namer!  Ray Allen.  That’s what.  You saw him.  You saw him in last year’s playoffs.  You saw him in last year’s playoffs without KG.  Without KG, the Celtics needed a go-to guy.  They found one in Ray Ray.  When he’s on, he’s still the best shooter in the game.  He still has ice in his veins.  How many times did you see him hit the winner winner chicken dinner?  That’s the kind of guy you want on your side.  That’s the guy the Celtics have on their side.  I sure am happy about that.                       

• USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1995
• First-team All-American and won the Big East Player of the Year award
• Honorary captain of the 25-member UConn All-Century Basketball Team
• NBA Champion: 2008
• All-NBA Second Team: 2005
• All-NBA Third Team: 2001
• 9-time NBA All-Star: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997
• NBA Joe Dumars NBA Sportsmanship Award: 2003
• The Sporting News “Good Guy”: 2000, 2001, 2005
• 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
• NBA regular season leader, three-point field goals attempted: 2006 (653)
• NBA all-time career three-point field goals made: 2nd with 2,299 (as of April 13, 2009)
• 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 with Tracy McGrady (April 14, 2002 vs. the Charlotte Hornets).
• Shares NBA record for most three-point field goals made in a single NBA Finals Game with 7 with Kenny Smith and Scottie Pippen (June 17, 2008, in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals)
• Holds NBA record for most three-point field goals made in an NBA Finals series with 22 (2008 NBA Finals)
• 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).
• Ranks 33rd all time on the NBA’s scoring leader list.
• Member of the 2000 United States men’s basketball team, which won gold at the Sydney Olympics.
• Holds Boston Celtics franchise record for most consecutive free throws (72).
• Is the active leader in three-point field goals made with 2,299. He trails only Reggie Miller, who has 2560, for the all time record. (as of April 13, 2009)

Public Spectacle:

Peace out homies. Six two and Even!

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