On the eve of his induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame, we round up some of the more lasting moments and games of Ray Allen‘s six-and-a-half seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Of the many stops in his 18-year NBA career, Ray Allen’s time with the Milwaukee Bucks is likely not the first to come to mind for the majority of the league’s many followers, outside of the generations of die-hard Bucks fans.
Between winning his first title with the “Big 3” the Boston Celtics assembled in advance of the 2007-08 season and knocking down arguably the greatest shot in NBA history during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat, the late prime to twilight of Allen’s career has many touchstones that still feel fresh in the collective NBA consciousness.
But it was in Milwaukee, where traces of the player Allen would later become in his playing career caught the attention and devotion of the Bucks faithful, after he came to the organization from the Minnesota Timberwolves by way of a draft night trade in exchange for Stephon Marbury during the 1996 NBA Draft.
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It was with the Bucks where the University of Connecticut alum first was named an All-Star, earned All-NBA honors and in general, became one one of the most lethal, multi-faceted scorers and offensive forces the league sported during the length of his career.
All of the milestones Allen accrued, both on an individual and team level, during his six-and-a-half years with the Bucks stand as lasting mementos alongside the fading memories of his time in Milwaukee. And of course, it’s what makes his trade to the Seattle Supersonics on the day of the trade deadline during the 2002-03 season all the more gutting.
The fact that Allen’s departure, which ranks second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s move to the Los Angeles Lakers in franchise history, still resonates with many, if not all Bucks fans more than 15 years later speaks to the void left in the wake of his exit that only current Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has properly filled over the last few seasons.
Now with the 43-year-old set to be enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame this coming weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts, there’s no better time to cover the impact of Allen’s stint with the Bucks, which will surely be covered to some degree in his induction speech.
So without further ado, let’s go over some of the more enduring moments of Ray Allen’s six and a half year stay with the Milwaukee Bucks.