Ray Allen played his final NBA game over two years ago, in Game 6 of the 2014 NBA Finals. The then-38-year-old guard shot 1-of-8 from the floor as his Miami Heat lost to the San Antonio Spurs, 104-87. The Spurs had completed their revenge against the Heat, and Allen had completed his career. He walked away but—and this is important—never retired. Every summer there have been comeback rumors. Now, at 41, they’ve come up once again, as he’s been connected to both the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. To which we say: DO IT.
When Kobe Bryant called it a career at the end of this season, that marked the end of the heralded draft class of 1996 in the NBA. Stephon Marbury is still playing in China, but Bryant was the last active NBA member of a class that also brought us Steve Nash, Jermaine O’Neal, Marcus Camby, and newly elected Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. Allen was a member of that class, drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to the Bucks for Marbury. If he makes an NBA roster, he’d finally be the undisputed best player from that class—or the ‘90s, for that matter.
If anyone could make a successful NBA comeback at 40-plus it’s Allen, who maintained a ludicrously high fitness level during his playing career and has continued to do so. An avid runner and golfer, Allen has a body fat percentage usually only seen on yogurt containers. And given his meticulous level of preparation as a pro, is there any doubt he can still knock down a three on command? Allen is undoubtedly as NBA-ready as any 40-something ever has been.
Allen’s daughter, Tierra, is 24, older than the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Marcus Smart.
So it will mean spending a lot of time with guys old enough to be his kids—literally. Allen’s daughter, Tierra, is 24, older than the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Marcus Smart. Allen is closer in age to Bucks coach Jason Kidd (43) than any of the Bucks players, and is actually older than Celtics coach Brad Stevens (39). No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons was three months old when Allen made his NBA debut; No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram wasn’t born yet. Allen, nearly a full year older than fellow South Carolinian Kevin Garnett, would be the oldest player in the NBA by far.
Forget the threes, it might be worth having Allen on a roster just for his stories. One of the original Jordan Brand athletes, Allen was wearing Air Jordans when Jordan himself was still winning championships in Chicago. Only three active (well, technically) players—Paul Pierce, Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki—remain who played with or against Jordan on an All-Star team. Allen, who played for the East in 2002, would be the fourth.
The downsides of a comeback are not many. Sure, there’s always a chance of injury, or getting stupendously crossed up by some 22-year-old hotshot point guard. The Hall of Fame clock resets. There will be many terrible grandpa jokes in the locker room and on the court. But all in all it’s a pretty sweet deal. Make the veteran’s minimum, collect that daily cash per diem, and rebuild a stash of fresh new NBA socks that has no doubt been decimated in retirement. Shoot lots of threes. Find a new youngster to groom (his first, Rashard Lewis, is, uh, 37 and retired.)
There will also be an acclimation period, which is to be expected when someone has been away for so long. Kobe, Tim Duncan, and Amar’e Stoudemire are retired, Dwyane Wade is a Bull, LeBron James is back in Cleveland. Steph Curry, who played in his first All-Star game in Allen’s final season, is a two-time MVP. Curry has hit 688 threes in the two seasons since Allen retired, a fifth of Allen’s NBA record career total.
It’s hard to say what Allen will do. Looking at his Instagram, he’s been teaching at his basketball camp, running, and golfing—enjoying summer. But he certainly seems interested. There’s no rush, training camp doesn’t start for a while yet. When it does, hopefully Allen is there. If nothing else, he’ll give the rest of us old guys someone else in our demographic—like, people who remember Milli Vanilli—to root for.
