Last season, it took until March for Ray Allen to make up his mind about not suiting up.
Allen, who turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, says he is not yet ready to officially retire—the future Hall of Famer is keeping all doors open just a crack, in case the right opportunity comes along.
Jesus Shuttlesworth reports that “a quarter to half” of NBA teams tried to sign him in 2014-15.
Per the Hartford Courant:
“I haven’t said anything about that and I won’t officially retire,” Allen said Saturday during a break in his basketball camp for kids at East Granby High. “Because if something came to the table, contractually and situational-ly, I want to be able to take a strong look at it. I don’t want to be that guy that says he’s retiring and then is coming back.”
“I didn’t miss it,” he said. “I realized how much time I missed not being home with my kids. I probably missed it in the Finals. Watching Cleveland and Golden State play, it just seemed like an epic battle that required a lot of precision on the floor and that’s when I felt, that was probably the only time that I felt like, ‘Man, I should have been out there.'”
If he does not play again, Allen is comfortable with the run he’s had, which includes championships with the Celtics and Heat. […] “It would be one thing if I played 10 or 11 years,” he said “But playing 18, I got a lot out of it. I like the feeling of knowing I don’t have to beat myself into the ground.”
