Former NBA star Ray Allen isn’t officially retired, nor is he ready to say those words just yet.
Ray Allen has enjoyed a long, successful career in the NBA and one would hardly fault the 40-year-old shooting guard for hanging up his sneakers after 18 seasons. Given the fact that he took the entire 2014-15 season off, most likely anticipated it was just a matter of announcing that he’s officially retired from the game.
But for Ray Allen, he’s still not quite ready to make that part of his career official. In fact, Allen seems to be holding out a little bit of hope that there is still some basketball in his future.
Speaking with the Hartford Courant, the former UConn star opened up about weighing playing again or putting the offical stamp on his retirement.
"“I haven’t said anything about that and I won’t officially retire,” Allen said Saturday during a break in his basketball camp for kids at East Granby High. “Because if something came to the table, contractually and situationally, I want to be able to take a strong look at it. I don’t want to be that guy that says he’s retiring and then is coming back….”"
A two-time NBA champion, Allen owns a lifetime averages of 18.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over an 18-year career spent with the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. With 2973 career three-point shots made, Allen holds the all-time NBA/ABA record, a full 413 more than the next closest competitor (Reggie Miller).
There were rumors that Allen would suit up last season and help former teammate LeBron James chase his championship in Cleveland, but Allen ultimately decided to stay home instead. That decision may have led to some second-guessing on his part, but he ultimately felt pretty comfortable with taking some time away from the game.
"“I didn’t miss it,” he said. “I realized how much time I missed not being home with my kids. I probably missed it in the Finals. Watching Cleveland and Golden State play, it just seemed like an epic battle that required a lot of precision on the floor and that’s when I felt, that was probably the only time that I felt like, ‘Man, I should have been out there.’”"
That sounds an awful lot like a man who has found peace away from the basketball court while spending time with him family. The chase for a title could certainly pull him back, but if he opted not to chase it last season, the likelihood of going down that road again in 2015-16 is more remote. He can walk away today and know that he’s already been there and done it twice, and that he’ll have a placque in the Basketball Hall of Fame shortly after his playing days are officially over.
Next: Each NBA team's all-time starting five
More from Boston Celtics
- Predicting NBA’s Christmas Day Schedule: Lakers, Warriors highlight slate of postseason rematches
- Jaylen Brown signs richest contract in NBA history without a left hand
- Boston Celtics projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
- David Griffin thanks rival Celtics for leverage in Anthony Davis trade talks
- NBA rumors: Damian Lillard trade becoming more trouble than it’s worth for Celtics