Longtime sharpshooter Ray Allen will not play in the NBA this season and will decide on his future over the summer, the player's agent, Jim Tanner, announced Wednesday. Allen, one of the greatest shooters in league history, says he will spend the next few months considering his status for the 2015-16 season with his family.
Ray Allen will not play in the NBA this season
The future Hall of Famer says he’s considering whether to come back and suit up for the 2015-16 season.
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
“Over the past several months, I have taken a lot of time to deliberate what is best for me,” Allen said in a press release. “I’ve ultimately decided that I will not play this NBA season. I’m going to take the remainder of this season, as well as the upcoming off-season, to reassess my situation, spend time with my family and determine if I will play in the 2015-16 season.”
Allen, who turns 40 in July, last played for the Miami Heat during the past two seasons as a shooting specialist of sorts. In his late-30s, while much of his game declined, Allen still managed to be one of the most dangerous shooters in the league. He finished last season averaging 9.6 points per game while shooting 38 percent from three.
Considered the most clutch shooter in NBA history by many fans, Allen is largely known for the many huge shots he hit throughout the playoffs as a member of the Celtics and Heat. His game-tying three in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals will go down as one of the most stunning plays in hoops history, a miraculous fadeaway forever etched into our collective memory.
If Allen doesn’t play again, he’ll still go down as the most prolific three-point shooter in league history. Over his 18-year career, Allen hit an NBA-record 2,973 threes on 7,429 attempts, also the most in history. His career three-point percentage of 40 percent is 36th among qualifying players, and his free throw percentage of 89.4 percent is sixth.
Surely someone could still figure out how to use the 10-time All-Star next season if he’s interested in offering his shooting skills, but for now, he’s taking time to be with his family. We’ll know more about Allen’s intentions for next season over the summer.
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