Ray Allen’s always had that ‘underrated’ aura about him. He was one of many superstars in that monstrous 1996 NBA Draft class, which featured the likes of Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, and he played for a Milwaukee team that was hardly in the national spotlight. Ray was always a baller in the Playoffs, dropping 20+ per game rather easily while being one game away from making it to his first ever NBA Finals in 2001, but it was all ‘downhill’ from there; the Bucks missed the Playoffs there-after, and he was shipped to Seattle in a blockbuster trade, where he reached the Playoffs just once. Ray Allen’s one of those guys who had superstar talent in mediocre surroundings, and it wasn’t until his arrival in Boston in 2007 when the entire load wasn’t put on his shoulders. That shared burden of ‘win now’ was a lot easier to carry, and in an ever-so-slightly diminished role, he helped lead Boston to its first ever NBA Championship since 1986.
Today, Ray Allen has outlived most of his ’96 draftmates (with the exception of 5-time champion Kobe Bryant), and in that impressive career, he’s solidified himself as one of the best pure scorers to ever play the game while sealing his title as the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time. At 36 years old, Ray still has a few years of quality basketball left in him, and even if he retires without adding a second ring to his trophy case, he’ll leave the NBA as one of the greatest players of all-time. Ray Allen is the longest-tenured Jordan Brand athlete for good reason, and tomorrow, sneakerheads will have the opportunity to celebrate his longevity because Jordan Brand will release the Air Jordan XIII PE that Ray wore during his record-breaking night. These were originally set to be an extremely limited release, but other retail spots like CNCPTS and even Finishline have confirmed a limited stock, so hopefully these won’t be to hard to obtain. Let us know if you have plans of copping these, and if you’re willing to pay the price, snag one of these limited pairs now on eBay.