Enjoy Ray Allen While You Can

Maybe you caught Game 1 of the first-round series between the Celtics and Knicks. If you did, you saw a very familiar ending.

Ray Allen, always pure from three-point range, swishing it through the net with seconds left on the clock. Moments later it was game over. Celtics win. It’s such a familiar refrain by now UConn fans take it for granted.

But make no mistake, Allen is the best NBA player in UConn history.

If we’re going to be honest, we’d have to admit that while Jim Calhoun puts a lot of players in the NBA, there haven’t been a ton of successes. Yes, they make it, and that is impressive enough, but no one wows like Allen.

Only four UConn alums have ever made the All-Star game – Allen, Caron Butler, Richard Hamilton and Cliff Robinson – 16 combined appearances in all, and Allen accounts for 10 of them.

You’ll also notice there aren’t a lot of recent names on that list. The number of disappointments among first round UConn picks has been surprising – Hilton Armstrong (12^th overall), Hasheem Thabeet (2^nd overall), Marcus Williams (22^nd overall), Josh Boone (23^rd overall). Players like Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva haven’t truly been busts, but none has lived up to the lofty expectations.

That’s why UConn fans had better appreciate just how great a spokesman for the university Allen has been. He’s been a Hall of Fame player and maintains an exemplary off-the-court image. Opposing fans loath teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. You’ll rarely hear a bad word about Allen.

And there’s a reason for that – it’s called being humble. Both Garnett and Pierce have won before, but Allen seems to be the only one who regularly acts that way.

I’ve never understood the term “sore loser.” You lost; you’re supposed to be in a bad mood. I can forgive that. Really, we should be much more concerned about “bad winners.” As Yankees manager Joe Torre always said when discussing sportsmanship after a win: “Act like you’ve been there before.”

After that game winner in Game 1, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, “Ray’s a hero with that shot.”

Allen was his typical self: “It’s a play that has so many options and tonight I was just the option.”

Allen was the option because he has made more 3-pointers than any other player in NBA history. He didn’t mention that. Oh, and by the way, the Celtics’ Troy Murphy is making $2 million more than Allen this year.

Allen is 35 years old. This is his 16th year in the league. He may be in better shape than most 20-somethings in the league, but he still won’t be playing much longer. So enjoy all these buzzer beaters while you can.

Allen shouldn’t just be cherished as a UConn alumnus, he should be cherished as one of the best representations of all athletes. But trust me, we’ll still claim him as one of our own.