The all-time leader in three point field goals Ray Allen announces his retirement from the NBA. He left behind his legacy as the first NBA pure shooter, which now become the trend in the league.
Allen posted a note "A Letter to My Younger Self" on The Player’s Tribune reflecting his eighteen years of NBA career and saying his official retirement.
“I write this to you today as a 41-year-old man who is retiring from the game,” Allen wrote in his beautiful note. He also wrote a closing statement, “Most people will never really get to know the real you. But they’ll know your work.”
Allen is the first pure shooter in the NBA whose shooting mechanic is unrivaled. He lead the path which now followed by other NBA shooter Stephen Curry. Allen and Curry’s father Del once played together in Milwaukee Bucks. The young Curry who was 10-year old during the 1998-99 season reminisced how Allen challenged him in a shooting contest, Curry told ESPN.
Curry admitted that Allen inspired him to become the great shooter and Allen’s career provided him a personal goal. Curry is now known as one of the prolific scorer in the NBA, and may surpass Allen’s record as the all-time three point scoring leader. In his entire 18 years career Allen has made 2,973 three-pointer with 40 percent accuracy from 7,429 attempt. He exceeded Reggie Miller’s 2,560 three-pointers in 2013.
Currently, Curry in his 6th year has made 1,610 three point. His accuracy is the highest among the list with 44.4 percent. Curry is on track to surpass Allen’s record, who is also the two-time NBA champions.
Allen won the NBA champion in 2008 with Boston Celtics and in 2013 with Miami Heat. He made the clutch shot at the end of sixth game in 2013 NBA Finals against San Antonio Spurs to win the game and the championship. Allen will always be remembered as the great scorer and a pure shooter in the NBA.
Watch the official announcement of Ray Allen’s retirement from the NBA, as reported by ESPN First Take