Tag: Ray Allen

Celtics great Ray Allen on defending Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals

“Some guys in the NBA, and Kobe was one of them; it’s impossible to keep him from taking those shots and not missing,” recalled Allen.

When fans of the Boston Celtics think of Hall of Fame shooting guard Ray Allen, defense is not usually at the top of the list of attributes people tend ot think of. But in the Celtics’ battles with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Allen put the clamps on Kobe just enough to come away with a title in 2008 — and might have if not for injury two years later. “He took a lot of tough shots,” said the UConn alum of his battles with Bryant.

“It was my job to keep making him continue taking shots,” added Allen. “If he’s taking tough shots, I am happy with it, he’s gonna make some of them, and that’s fine.”

“When he’s taking shots under duress or with fatigue, then I did my job.”

“Some guys in the NBA, and Kobe was one of them; it’s impossible to keep him from taking those shots and not missing,” recalled Allen.

“It was a task for me, but I tried to get him as tired as much as I could because he was guarding me as well.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Celtics champion Ray Allen talks simplifying his role with Boston, greatest shooters

The former Celtics champion has an interesting opinion on who’s the greatest shooter of all time – and it isn’t himself.

Boston Celtics champion shooting guard Ray Allen saw his career 3-point record shattered by Golden State Warriors star point guard Steph Curry, with a passing of the torch from one of the game’s greatest shooters having taken place in the same sort of way Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller once did when Allen broke Miller’s career 3-point makes record.

But it might surprise younger readers to learn that the Connecticut product was not always known for being a lethal shooter alone, and actually had a fairly diverse offensive arsenal he would later downplay to fit into Boston’s schema, which he discussed in an extensive interview with NBA.com’s Shaun Powell.

“Once I got to Boston, I was playing in prime time, and based on the way we were playing, I’m suddenly no longer a pick-and-roll player, I’m no longer a post-up player,” he explained. “I’m strictly a space guy who can shoot the 3s.”

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason 3-pointers?

Can you name the Boston Celtics’ most prolific postseason 3-point shooters? Better yet, can you do it in order?

The 3-point shot has become the centerpiece of the modern NBA offense in both the regular season and playoffs, but much of the Boston Celtics’ storied postseason success took place before the adoption of the 3 by the NBA — never mind its ascent to dominance.

And while Larry Bird might have started his career in the very same game a 3 was first recorded, even the Hick From French Lick did not rely much on the shot. So the record book of which Celtics have sunk the most shots from beyond the arc is heavily slanted toward the modern era, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few surprises mixed in.

Can you guess the 10 most prolific 3-point shooters in Boston’s playoff history? Make your guesses and scroll down to see how you did.

How many Boston Celtics are in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame?

No team in NBA history has produced more. How many can you name?

With Boston Celtics Hall of Fame Paul Pierce officially part of the incoming 2021 class and big man Kevin Garnett getting his formal induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in May 2021 — nearly a year after getting the nod due to the pandemic — all three members of the so-called “new Big Three” of KG, Pierce and Ray Allen have been ensconced in what serves as the Valhalla of basketball.

But they are far from the only Celtics so honored. In fact, there is a veritable host of Boston legends populating the Hoop Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, just a short drive away from the NBA’s titletown. The Celtics have more players than any other team in league history.

Let’s take a look at the 40 Celtics who have been honored with a Hall of Fame induction.

Complete list of Boston Celtics in the Basketball Hall of Fame

Celtics Wire celebrates the 48 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with ties to the Boston Celtics franchise.

The Boston Celtics are one of the bedrock franchises in professional sports. Legends such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett dazzled fans with their athletic exploits and won the NBA championship in Boston.

A couple of hours down the Mass Pike in Springfield, no fewer than four dozen players, coaches, and contributors with ties to the Celtics franchise have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the years, spanning the decades from the first years of the storied ball club’s existence up to the team’s last era of contention.

Below, Celtics Wire celebrates the 49 members of the Hall of Fame with Celtics connections in a photo gallery.

Ray Allen on the role of NIL in the NCAA: ‘I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with that’

For The Win spoke with Ray Allen about the current state of college hoops.

Few individuals on the planet have enjoyed as much success on the basketball court as Ray Allen.

The two-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist is a 10-time All-Star who was recently named as one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players of all time. Allen held the NBA’s record for most 3-pointers made in a career with 2,973 until Stephen Curry broke surpassed him in 2021.

During his time in the pros, Allen saw a little bit of everything and was able to offer some of his insights about his experience during the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program back in July.

For The Win caught up with Allen to discuss the program, the state of college basketball and more.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Boston’s Danny Ainge, Kendrick Perkins talk 2008 title team genesis, chemistry

Boston head honcho Danny Ainge and former Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins spoke on the 2008 title team’s early days and chemistry.

Boston Celtics team president Danny Ainge appeared on ESPN’s “Hoop Streams” show in April 2020 to talk about Boston’s 2008 NBA Championship among several other topics. At that time, it was hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth and joined by former Celtics champion center Kendrick Perkins as well as Amin Elhassan.

Spurred by Garnett’s Hall of Fame election that had recently been announced, Hubbarth soon arrived at the origin story of the so-called “new Big Three” (as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen have been called in reference to the 1980s banner-hanging frontcourt trio of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish).

Asked about the conversation in which the BYU alum convinced the Big Ticket to accept a trade to Boston, Ainge replied at length.

Who are the top 5 NBA players who have acted in movies?

More importantly to most of you reading this, do any of them happen to be Boston Celtics?

Who are the top five NBA players who have acted in movies? More importantly to most of you reading this, are any of them past or present Boston Celtics?

Summer blockbusters such as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have taken the world by storm, and NBA players have not been left out of the movie action over the years.

The folks behind the official YouTube channel for “The Score” put together a video highlighting what were, in their estimation, the top five movie performances by NBA athletes. The clip showcases their remarkable talents beyond the basketball court, keeping us entertained on the silver screen instead.

From cameos in “Airplane!” to Space Jam to Space Jam 2, there is a rich history of NBA players acting.

Check out the clip embedded above to see when one former Boston player  had his come-to-Jesus moment in film — and where it is ranked against others.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 20

Today’s installment focuses on the 31 players who wore No. 20 over the years as of August 2023.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history of interest tied to them.

In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball, their unretired jersey numbers pack in some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league. To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.

Today’s installment focuses on the 31 players who wore No. 20 over the years as of August 2023.

Where do Boston Celtics alumni stack up vs. the highest-paid shooting guards in NBA history?

With two distinct epochs of contention in the modern era — the only period in league history that saw players earn enough to have a chance at making such a list — that is no coincidence

When it comes to the highest-paid shooting guards in NBA history, the Boston Celtics have had a few of them on their roster over the course of the recent history of the storied ball club.

With two distinct epochs of contention in the modern era — the only period in league history that saw players earn enough to have a chance at making such a list — that is no coincidence. But who were the best-paid 2 guards in the history of the association, and where do Celtics alumni stack up against them? Thanks to a new assessment to such an end by HoopsHype’s Dionysis Aravantinos, we know the answer to both questions.

Let’s take a look at where Boston alums rate vs. the other top-earning shooting guards in the history of the league.