[外電] Postgame notes: Where it all began for Ray

[nisiya0625 (nisiya)]

新聞出處(必填):http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics
defeated the New York Knicks, 97-84, in a preseason battle at the XL Center:

http://nuku.tw/N5CD0

Celtics guard Ray Allen  played a handful of his collegiate games inside the
XL Center, but Saturday's game felt more like a homecoming based on a chance
encounter backstage at one of Boston's final regular-season games here in
Hartford.

Back on Feb. 23, 1995, Allen and some UConn teammates trekked down from their
Storrs apartment to watch Boston host the Orlando Magic in what would be the
second-to-last regular-season Celtics game this arena would host (an
agreement between the team and the stadium lapsed, leaving only the
occasional exhibition game).

That night, Allen watched now-38-year-old Shaquille O'Neal drop 38 points on
the Celtics, but Boston emerged with a thrilling 119-117 win riding a
team-high 27 points from Dino Radja and a double-double from Sherman Douglas
(19 points, 12 assists).

Then came a chance encounter outside the visitor's locker room that proved to
then-19-year-old Allen he belonged in the NBA, in large part because he
wasn't awed by the moment.

"I don't know how I found my way in the back, but I remember meeting [Shaq]
and [Anfernee] 'Penny' [Hardaway]," recalled Allen. "I don't know, it felt as
though it was just like a natural progression... I had an awareness of who I
was and what I could do if I kept my nose to the grind[stone]. That was just
affirmation."

Allen returned for his junior season at UConn in 1995-96 and averaged 23.4
points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game before declaring for the draft
where the Milwaukee Bucks tabbed him with the fifth overall pick.

Now 15 years after that chance meeting, Allen is a teammates with O'Neal, and
he can admit how much of a fan he was of Shaq on his way to the league.

"I think I had his shoes on at the time [of the meeting]," said Allen. "I
always wore his shoes in college -- not to play in, but I had a pair of them
that I wore around. It's very ironic because... I was a big fan of his when I
was in high school and college."

But he can't wear O'Neal's shoes any more, retro pumps or the newer models.

"They were Reebok at the time and I'm a Nike guy," said Allen. "So that will
never happen again."

Allen finished with a quiet night on the familiar floor, scoring four points
on 1-of-5 shooting over nearly 20 minutes of action.


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推 gaiaesque   :可惜今天雷槍沒有展現水準..不然在康乃提克人們表現
→ gaiaesque   :一定是很高興
推 chatwuss    :那時候在看SHAQ打的時候 應該就是想我也可以阿
→ hardawaykai :創了個Penny在2k11過過癮 XDD