Ray Allen always had the game. What he needed was the right address. After a dozen seasons in Milwaukee and Seattle, he finally found a place where he could become a bona fide basketball legend. As part of the “Big Three” for the Boston Celtics, Ray helped restore glory to the green and white. His long-distance shooting keyed a championship in 2008 and provided a record-setting memory on the team’s quest for another NBA title in 2010. Ray always had the stats to earn Hall of Fame consideration. Now he has the ring, too. This is his story…
Always smiling, Ray was a happy kid who seemed unaffected by Walter's hopscotching career. Early in Ray's life, his father was sent to Bentwaters Air Force Base in England, and the family naturally followed. There they lived in an American community in Saxmundum, a town about 25 miles from the base.
This is where Ray got his first exposure to organized sports, in Pee Wee football. If you think youth football parents are over-the-top, try taking in a game at a military base. Ray was no bigger than the other boys, but he was clearly an exceptional athlete.
He was also a great soccer and baseball player. On the diamond, Ray could hit the ball a mile. After his eighth birthday, he was old enough for a league in which coaches pitched. Ray was the only kid who could clear the line drawn in the outfield demarcating a home run. Before long, Little League parents were pushing for him to jump to the next level.
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