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Ray Allen

Allen in 2016

Personal information

Born

July 20, 1975 (age 49)
Merced, California, U.S.

High school

Hillcrest (Dalzell, South Carolina)

Listed height

6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

Listed weight

205 lb (93 kg)

Career information

College

UConn (1993–1996)

NBA Draft

1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall

Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves

Pro career

1996–2014

Career history

1996–2003

2003–2007

2007–2012

2012–2014

Career highlights and awards

2× NBA champion (2008, 2013)
10× NBA All-Star (2000–2002, 2004–2009, 2011)
All-NBA Second Team (2005)
All-NBA Third Team (2001)
NBA Sportsmanship Award (2003)
NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2001)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
UPI Player of the Year (1996)
Consensus first-team All-American (1996)
Big East Player of the Year (1996)
2× First-team All-Big East (1995, 1996)
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1995)
No. 34 retired by UConn Huskies
South Carolina Mr. Basketball (1993)

Career NBA statistics

Points

24,505 (18.9 ppg)

Rebounds

5,272 (4.1 rpg)

Assists

4,361 (3.4 apg)

Medals

Men's basketball

Representing United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2000 Sydney	Team
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	2003 San Juan	Team
Summer Universiade
Gold	1995 Fukuoka	Team

Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Many people think he is one of the best three-point shooters ever.

Ray Allen was an NBA All-Star ten times. He also won an Olympic gold medal with the United States men's basketball team in 2000. When he retired, he was the player with the most three-pointers in NBA history. Later, Stephen Curry broke his record in 2021. As of 2025, Allen is still third on the all-time three-pointers list. In 2021, he was chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which honors the league's top players.

Allen played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies for three years. He was then picked fifth overall in the 1996 NBA draft. He became a great scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks. He played with stars like Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell. In 2003, he moved to the Seattle SuperSonics. There, he became known for breaking many three-point and free throw records.

Later, Allen joined the Boston Celtics. He formed a "Big Three" team with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. They won an NBA championship in 2008. After five seasons with the Celtics, he played for the Miami Heat for two years. He reached the NBA Finals both times and won another championship in 2013. His amazing three-pointer in the 2013 Finals, which forced overtime, is one of the most famous plays in NBA history. Ray Allen retired on November 1, 2016, after playing for four different teams.

During his NBA career, Allen also acted in movies. He played a basketball star named Jesus Shuttlesworth in Spike Lee's movie He Got Game (1998). Critics liked his acting, and "Jesus Shuttlesworth" became his nickname.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Ray Allen was born on July 20, 1975, in California. His father was in the military, so Ray moved around a lot as a child. He lived in England, Oklahoma, California, and Germany. His family finally settled in Dalzell, South Carolina.

When he was young, Ray worked very hard at sports. He grew taller, which helped him in basketball. He decided to spend his free time becoming the best basketball player he could be. He practiced every day, making sure it didn't get in the way of his schoolwork.

By age fifteen, he was playing for Hillcrest High School's main team. He led them to their first state championship. In that game, he scored 25 points and got 12 rebounds. Many colleges wanted him to play for them, and he chose the University of Connecticut.

College Basketball Career

Ray Allen played for the University of Connecticut (UConn) from 1993 to 1996.

In his first year (1993–94), he played in 34 games. He averaged 12.6 points per game. He was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team.

In his second year (1994–95), he started 31 of 32 games. He averaged 21.1 points per game. He was named first-team All-Big East.

In his third year (1995–96), he started all 35 games. He averaged 23.4 points per game. He was named the Big East Player of the Year. He also earned first-team All-Big East again. The Huskies won their third straight Big East Conference title.

After his junior year, Allen decided to enter the 1996 NBA draft. His 1,922 total points at UConn ranked fifth all-time when he left. In 2019, UConn retired his number 34 jersey to honor him. In 2023, Ray Allen graduated from UConn with a college degree.

NBA Career Highlights

Milwaukee Bucks (1996–2003)

Ray Allen was picked fifth in the 1996 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. But he was immediately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He signed a contract with the Bucks in July 1996.

Allen played his first NBA game on November 1, 1996. He scored 13 points. In February 1997, he took part in the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend. He finished fourth. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team for his great first season.

In the 1997–98 season, Allen started all 82 games for the Bucks. He scored a career-high 35 points in one game. In 1999, Allen signed a big contract extension with the Bucks. He made his first playoff appearance that year.

In February 2001, Allen achieved his first "triple-double" (scoring at least 10 in three different stats: points, rebounds, assists). A few days later, he won his first 3-point shootout during All-Star Weekend. Allen, along with Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson, helped the Bucks reach the Eastern Conference finals. He scored a playoff career-high 41 points in one game.

Seattle SuperSonics (2003–2007)

In 2003, Ray Allen was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. He joined his former UConn teammate Kevin Ollie.

Allen prepares to shoot a free throw in 2007

After a season with some injuries, Allen was named to the All-NBA Second Team in the 2004–05 season. He and teammate Rashard Lewis led the Sonics to the playoffs. In July 2005, Allen signed a new five-year contract with the SuperSonics.

On March 12, 2006, Allen scored his 15,000th career point. On April 7, 2006, he became second all-time in NBA three-pointers made. On April 19, 2006, Allen broke the record for most three-pointers made in a single season. This record was later broken by Stephen Curry.

In the 2006–07 season, Allen averaged a career-high 26.4 points per game. On January 12, 2007, he scored a career-high 54 points in a game against the Utah Jazz.

Boston Celtics (2007–2012)

Winning a Championship

On June 28, 2007, the Sonics traded Allen to the Celtics. Soon after, the Celtics also got Kevin Garnett. This created a "Big Three" with Allen, Garnett, and Paul Pierce. Allen changed his jersey number to 20 because Paul Pierce already wore number 34.

Allen in 2008

In February 2008, Allen was chosen as an All-Star. Many people thought he should have won the All-Star MVP award for his amazing scoring in the fourth quarter. The Celtics finished the season with a great record of 66 wins and 16 losses. They were the top team in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

On June 12, 2008, Allen played a key role in a huge comeback win in the 2008 NBA Finals. The Celtics came back from being down 24 points to win. On June 17, 2008, in the final game of the NBA Finals, Allen tied an NBA Finals record by making seven three-pointers. The Celtics won 131–92 against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Allen won his first NBA championship!

Allen in 2009

In February 2009, Allen was named an All-Star again. This was his ninth time. He also broke a Celtics record for most consecutive free throws made. In the 2009 playoffs, Allen scored 51 points in one game. The Celtics lost in the second round that year.

Setting a 3-Point Record

On December 10, 2009, Allen scored 18 points to reach 20,000 points in his career.

On June 6, 2010, in Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Allen set a new record. He made eight three-pointers in an NBA Finals game. He also became the first player to have two games with at least seven three-pointers in the NBA Finals. The Celtics lost the series in seven games.

On February 10, 2011, Ray Allen made history. He became the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made, passing Reggie Miller. He finished the game with 2,562 three-pointers. He was also named an All-Star for the tenth time.

During the 2011–12 season, Allen dealt with trade rumors and an ankle injury. The Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

Miami Heat (2012–2014)

Winning a Second Championship

In the summer of 2012, Ray Allen decided to join the Miami Heat. He signed a two-year deal. He went back to wearing his favorite number 34 jersey.

Allen in 2014

In his first season with the Heat, he averaged 10.9 points per game. On April 25, 2013, Allen broke another record. He made his 322nd career three-pointer in the playoffs, passing Reggie Miller for the most in NBA playoff history.

In Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Heat were losing. With only 5.2 seconds left, Allen made an incredible game-tying three-pointer! This forced the game into overtime. The Heat won in overtime and forced a Game 7. In Game 7, the Heat won 95–88, and Ray Allen earned his second NBA championship!

Final Playing Year

Allen stayed with the Heat for the 2013–14 NBA season. He played in 73 games and averaged 9.6 points. In the playoffs, he continued to make important three-pointers. The Heat reached the NBA Finals again, but they lost to the Spurs this time.

Retirement

Ray Allen did not play in the 2014–15 season. He thought about coming back to play in 2015–16, but he officially retired on November 1, 2016. In September 2018, Allen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In October 2021, he was honored as one of the NBA's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Acting Career

In 1998, Ray Allen acted in the Spike Lee movie He Got Game. He played a high school basketball star named Jesus Shuttlesworth. People liked his acting, and "Jesus Shuttlesworth" became his nickname. Allen also appeared in the 2001 film Harvard Man. In 2015, he acted in an episode of "Uncle Drew," a series of commercials for Pepsi Max.

Personal Life

Ray Allen married singer and actress Shannon Walker Williams in 2008. They have four children together.

Allen has said that he is very focused and precise, which helped him with his amazing shooting style. He has also been an NBA Spokesperson for the Jr. NBA / Jr. WNBA program. He started the "Ray of Hope" Foundation to help charities in different communities.

In 2018, Allen released his autobiography called From the Outside. In 2021, he was in a serious bicycle crash. He said his bicycle helmet saved his life. In August 2021, Allen became the director of boys' and girls' basketball and the head coach for the boys' varsity team at Gulliver Preparatory School. In 2023, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut.

NBA Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1996–97	Milwaukee	82	81	30.9	.430	.393	.823	4.0	2.6	.9	.1	13.4
1997–98	Milwaukee	82*	82*	40.1	.428	.364	.875	4.9	4.3	1.4	.1	19.5
1998–99	Milwaukee	50*	50*	34.4	.450	.356	.903	4.2	3.6	1.1	.1	17.1
1999–00	Milwaukee	82	82*	37.4	.455	.423	.887	4.4	3.8	1.3	.2	22.1
2000–01	Milwaukee	82	82*	38.2	.480	.433	.888	5.2	4.6	1.5	.2	22.0
2001–02	Milwaukee	69	67	36.6	.462	.434	.873	4.5	3.9	1.3	.3	21.8
2002–03	Milwaukee	47	46	35.8	.437	.395	.913	4.6	3.5	1.2	.2	21.3
2002–03	Seattle	29	29	41.3	.441	.351	.920	5.6	5.9	1.6	.1	24.5
2003–04	Seattle	56	56	38.4	.440	.392	.904	5.1	4.8	1.3	.2	23.0
2004–05	Seattle	78	78	39.3	.428	.376	.883	4.4	3.7	1.1	.1	23.9
2005–06	Seattle	78	78	38.7	.454	.412	.903	4.3	3.7	1.3	.2	25.1
2006–07	Seattle	55	55	40.3	.438	.372	.903	4.5	4.1	1.5	.2	26.4
2007–08†	Boston	73	73	35.9	.445	.398	.907	3.7	3.1	.9	.2	17.4
2008–09	Boston	79	79	36.4	.480	.409	.952	3.5	2.8	.9	.2	18.2
2009–10	Boston	80	80	35.2	.477	.363	.913	3.2	2.6	.8	.3	16.3
2010–11	Boston	80	80	36.1	.491	.444	.881	3.4	2.7	1.0	.2	16.5
2011–12	Boston	46	42	34.0	.458	.453	.915	3.1	2.4	1.1	.2	14.2
2012–13†	Miami	79	0	25.8	.449	.419	.886	2.7	1.7	.8	.2	10.9
2013–14	Miami	73	9	26.5	.442	.375	.905	2.8	2.0	.7	.1	9.6
Career		1,300	1,149	35.6	.452	.400	.894	4.1	3.4	1.1	.2	18.9
All-Star		10	0	20.1	.423	.310	.765	2.6	2.2	1.1	.2	14.5

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1999	Milwaukee	3	3	40.0	.532	.474	.615	7.3	4.3	1.0	.3	22.3
2000	Milwaukee	5	5	37.2	.444	.385	.909	6.6	2.6	1.6	.0	22.0
2001	Milwaukee	18	18	42.7	.477	.479	.919	4.1	6.0	1.3	.6	25.1
2005	Seattle	11	11	39.6	.474	.378	.889	4.3	3.9	1.3	.4	26.5
2008†	Boston	26	26	38.0	.428	.396	.913	3.8	2.7	.9	.3	15.6
2009	Boston	14	14	40.4	.403	.350	.948	3.9	2.6	1.1	.4	18.3
2010	Boston	24	24	38.5	.431	.386	.863	3.3	2.6	.9	.1	16.1
2011	Boston	9	9	40.1	.523	.571	.960	3.8	2.4	1.2	.1	18.9
2012	Boston	18	10	34.2	.395	.304	.711	4.1	1.0	.9	.1	10.7
2013†	Miami	23	0	24.9	.430	.406	.870	2.8	1.3	.5	.1	10.2
2014	Miami	20	1	26.4	.413	.388	.919	3.4	1.6	.7	.2	9.3
Career		171	121	35.5	.443	.401	.883	3.8	2.6	1.0	.2	16.1

Honors and Awards

On July 2, 2007, Ray Allen threw out the first pitch for a Boston Red Sox game.

2× NBA champion: 2008, 2013
3× Gold medalist with the USA men's basketball team:
- 1995 Summer Universiade
- 2000 Summer Olympics
- 2003 FIBA Americas Championship
10× NBA All-Star: 2000–2002, 2004–2009, 2011
All-NBA Second Team: 2005
All-NBA Third Team: 2001
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997
NBA Joe Dumars NBA Sportsmanship Award: 2003
NBA All-Star Weekend Three-point Shootout champion: 2001
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1995)

Records

NBA Regular Season Records

Most 3-point shots attempted in a career: 7,429

NBA Playoff Records

Most 3-point shots attempted in a game: 18 (tied with others)
- Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls, April 30, 2009 (3 OT)

NBA Finals Records

Most 3-point shots made in a half: 7 (first half)
- Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers, June 6, 2010
Most 3-point shots made in a quarter: 5 (second quarter) (tied with Stephen Curry)
- Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers, June 6, 2010

Milwaukee Bucks Team Records

Most consecutive games played: 400 (from 1996 to 2001)
Most 3-point shots made in career: 1,051
Most 3-point shots made in a season: 229 (2001–02)
Most 3-point shots made in a game: 10 (vs. Charlotte Hornets, April 14, 2002)
Most 3-point shots made in a half: 8 (tied with others)
- Second half, vs. Charlotte Hornets, April 14, 2002
Most 3-point shots attempted in a season: 528 (2001–02)

Seattle SuperSonics Team Records

Most 3-point shots made in a season: 269 (2005–06)
Most 3-point shots attempted in a season: 653 (2005–06)

Boston Celtics Team Records

Highest free throw percentage in a season: .952 (237/249) (2008–09)
Most consecutive free throws made: 72 (from December 25, 2008, to February 23, 2009)
Highest 3-point field goal percentage in a season: .453 (106/234) (2011–12 season)