It has been two seasons since Ray Allen stepped foot on an NBA court as an active player. He was 39 years-old, and his Miami Heat just lost to the Spurs in the 2014 Finals in somewhat convincing fashion. Then before you knew it, LeBron was back in Cleveland and Ray apparently was no longer interested in playing right away.
He sat out for a while, threatening to return if the situation was right. At this stage of his career, he was primarily a spot up shooter, so his skill set was still very much coveted. He was rumored to be interested in returning to the league to play for the Cavs and Warriors, but neither situation ever materialized.
To those thinking practically, he has been retired for two seasons now, but he finally decided to make it official in The Players’ Tribune, writing, “I write this to you today as a 41-year-old man who is retiring from the game. I write to you as a man who is completely at peace with himself,” in a letter he wrote to his 13-year-old self. It’s worth a read.
