Thank You Ray Allen

The Herald ran a story on Ray Allen at a golf tourney this weekend.

"Now is the time where you get to enjoy the success that we’ve had, that when you’re playing you can’t enjoy, because each day is a grind to get to the next day. Here, I can just sit back and revel in it," said Allen, who averaged 17.4 points per game for the Celtics in 2007-08. "This is probably the biggest crowd I’ve been in front of since Game 6, and to be here and play golf, you get a sense of the enormity of that situation, being able to play on that grand stage and see how many people watched from all over America."

Revel in it Ray, revel all you can.  You've had a long career where you've been nothing but a model citizen, superstar player, and all around great guy (not to mention a movie star).  The only thing missing in that fairytale life was an NBA Championship, and because you were able to put what little ego you had aside and accept a role as third fiddle on this team, you were rewarded with the ultimate basketball prize.

It isn't like there weren't bumps and setbacks along the way.  Early in the playoffs a shooting slump started a lot of premature declarations that your days as a productive player were over.  It seemed like the only one that still believed in you was the coach who kept you in, sometimes for the entire game.  You just kept on contributing in other ways.  You knew the shots would come back.  You knew the law of averages would dictate that you'd get hot again.  And you did.

Even when things were steamrolling to the promised land, fate sent a staggering, terrifying curveball that hit in the most unexpected place.  I won't pretend to know just how scared you were for your son's health during the Finals, but I know how I would feel if I was in your shoes.  Nothing in the world would matter more than family, even the NBA Championship.  Still, once you took care of business and made sure your family was taken care of, you were still able to focus and get back to work on the court.  Amazing.

When you were needed the most, wherever that was, you stepped up the most.  You were huge for this team time and time again.  You never cared that the other two stars got more attention because you didn't need the attention.  You knew what was important and you did what you had to do in the best way you could.  And because of that, you are now an NBA Champion.  Revel in it.

Thank you Ray Allen.

More Thank You's: PJ Brown | Wyc Grousbeck & Owners | Sam Cassell | Paul Pierce | Kobe Bryant | Doc Rivers | Assistant Coaches | James Posey | Danny Ainge | 17 Thank You's