Ray Allen, a renowned basketball player, was born at Castle Air Force Base, situated near Merced, California, to Flora (Day) and Walter Allen, Sr. His academic and athletic pursuits led him to graduate from Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, South Carolina, in 1993, after spearheading the varsity basketball team, the Wildcats, to the State Championships.
As a junior, Allen's exceptional performance earned him widespread recognition, including being a consensus All-American First Team selection by numerous writers and organizations. Additionally, he was a unanimous choice for the All Big East First Team. Throughout his collegiate career, he finished third on the Huskies all-time scoring list with an impressive 1,922 points.
In the 1995-96 season, Allen set a UConn single-season record by hitting 115 three-pointers. His outstanding performance caught the attention of the basketball world, and he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 5th overall pick in 1996. However, he never played for the Timberwolves and was subsequently traded, along with Andrew Lang, to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Stephon Marbury.
As a rookie, Allen established himself as an immediate starter, playing in all 82 games. Throughout his illustrious career, he achieved numerous accolades, including winning the Joe Dumars Sportsmanship Award in the 2002-2003 season, playing four times in the All-Star game (2000-2005),winning the All-Star 3-point shootout, and receiving the "Good Guy" award in 2000 and 2001.
