Well, after 10 weeks of rigorous statistical modeling, I’ve finally decided to retire from the blogging world.  It’s been great writing these entries; advanced sports statistics are my passion, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing it with y’all through this platform. However, it’s time for me to close this chapter in my life and pursue other interests.

For my final blog post, I’d like to honor Ray Allen, one of my favorite all-time NBA players. On Wednesday in a post to the Player’s Tribune, Allen, AKA Ray Ray, AKA Sugar Ray, AKA Jesus Shuttleworth, announced his retirement from the league, officially ending the 18 year basketball saga of the greatest sharp shooter of all time. I grew up watching him play when I was younger, and I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a more wet jumper in my life.

For real though, word on the street is that he’s straight water (s/o Kirf Olander).

A two time NBA champion, Allen has frequently been praised by his colleagues for his relentless, meticulous work ethic. He showed up to games three hours in advance, never drank, followed a strict dietary regimen, and honed his skills for hours on end in the gym (he actually has an acute, undocumented case of OCD so he would refuse to leave a workout session until he felt comfortable with the consistency of his technique). This level of commitment often went unrecognized, but it certainly manifested itself on the hardwood.

Allen arguably has the best three point shot in basketball history. Over a six year period from 2005-2011, Allen had a ridiculous .593 true shooting percentage, finishing third in the league in 2009 with a 62.4 percent mark. He also shot the three ball at a 40 percent clip over his career, better than Larry Bird and Reggie Miller, two of the game’s most prominent shooters. According to an ESPN sports science segment, Allen’s “mechanics were unrivaled,” averaging a .73 second release time with almost no deviations in his shooting form.

The story is the same with his free throw shooting. Allen’s career free throw percentage, 89.4, ranks seventh best all-time. In fact, the Washington Post reported that “Of the 145 instances of a player shooting at least 90 percent from the line while attempting 100 free throws in a single season, Allen is responsible for 6.9 percent of them.” In late game situations, Ray Ray was the last player on the floor that team’s wanted to foul.

Allen’s shooting prowess, combined with his clutch factor – since 1996, Allen has shot 63 percent on game-tying/go-ahead three pointers attempted in the final minutes of a playoff game, tops in the NBA – have helped him achieve basketball greatness. In 2004, when sabermetric analysis first started to emerge, Allen was eighth in the NBA in real Plus/Minus with an 8.5 rating. He was always known for being an excellent marksman, but shooting alone isn’t enough to become a top ten NBA player – that takes savvy, grit, polish, and a developed all-around game.

Ray Allen, we’ll miss you. Thank you for all your contributions to the game; you were the epitome of dedication, resilience, and craft. We wish you nothing but the best in retirement.

Cheers.