Throughout an 18-year career in the NBA, Ray Allen rather quietly went about his business as one of the best outside shooters in history. He finished with a record for three-point shots made, while also collecting championship rings playing for the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Even so, he was not a headline grabber or boat rocker, but a player who excelled with a fierce work ethic and determination. Always a bit of an introspective outsider, in “From the Outside” he peals back some of his reserve to share his thoughts about fellow players and his philosophy toward the game and life.
Here’s an excerpt from From the Outside:
“Often, [playing in Milwaukee] I didn’t feel like I was in the league at all. We didn’t draw big crowds at home, and on the road there was no Milwaukee Bucks Nation that came out to cheer us on. The Green Bay Packers owned the city, and state, and used to play games in Milwaukee into the mid-1990s. I felt I was back in high school, football being the sport that people were passionate about. Whenever my teammates and I ran into folks on our way to practice, the conversations would usually go something like this:“ ‘You guys are tall. You must play basketball.’“ ‘ We sure do.’“ ‘So you play for Marquette?’“ ‘No, we play for the Bucks.’“ ‘That’s nice.’ ”And off they went, unimpressed.”
