Hall of Fame guard Ray Allen found success at several stops: with the turn-of-the-century Bucks, on some of the last great SuperSonics teams and with the Celtics as they won their most recent NBA title.
However, Allen solidified his legacy as a deadly sharpshooter on the last two Big Three-era Heat teams. His three-pointer to tie Game 6 of the 2013 Finals ranks among the most iconic shots in basketball history, and helped now-Lakers forward LeBron James secure his second championship ring.
Despite their successful partnership, however, Allen left James off when he was asked to name his all-time starting five.
"Michael Jordan, Magic [Johnson], Larry [Bird], Shaq [O’Neal] and Hakeem Olajuwon," Allen said. "Sixth man? It would be... I would say LeBron."
Ray Allen reveals who'd be on his all-time starting five with a sixth man.
— Ishaan Bhattacharya (@IshaanBhatta) May 16, 2023
“With a sixth man? Michael Jordan, Magic (Johnson), Larry (Bird), Shaq (O’Neal), and Hakeem Olajuwon. Sixth man? It would be, I would say LeBron.” pic.twitter.com/lXJ3bW8FPi
Allen, whose 18-year career spanned drastic changes across the game, played against Jordan and Olajuwon. He just missed Johnson, whose final season in the NBA coincided with Allen’s last year at Connecticut.
James has come off the bench just twice in his NBA career—once in December 2007, to protect Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao from being booed after a long contract holdout, and on March 25 after returning from a foot injury. But according to his former teammate, he’d be in a bench role when playing alongside some of the game’s all-time greats.
