NBA legend and former Miami Heat guard Ray Allen hit one of the biggest shots in franchise history back in the 2013 NBA Finals.
Allen’s corner 3-pointer helped Miami stay alive in Game 6 of the series against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Heat went on to win the series in Game 7, and Allen, who is one of the greatest shooters ever, is forever entrenched in Heat history.
Allen’s shot was so big that to this day LeBron James and Erik Spoelstra call him out of the blue to thank him.
“Oh yeah, they do,” Allen said in an interview with CBS Sports. “They definitely do. And I owe them a debt of gratitude for accepting me into the fold. They already had a championship environment, and to welcome me in to help them get to the next level, that’s what true winners do. They always continue to find ways to win by any means necessary. They’re always willing to learn and get better. There hasn’t been a year that’s gone by where either one of them hasn’t mentioned 2013 to me. They’re always grateful for my input.”
Allen went on to explain how that shot helped etch his spot in the history books.
“It’s always just words of affirmation,” Allen said of what James and Spoelstra tell him. “When you win on any level — I always try to impress this upon kids that I speak to — it immortalizes you. You’ll forever be talked about. You’re part of the history of the game in that organization that you’ve won with.”
Allen played two seasons in Miami and helped the Heat make back-to-back NBA Finals when he was there.
A key cog in the rotation, Allen averaged 10.3 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting from downtown in his Heat tenure.
It is clear that all of Allen’s former Heat teammates are grateful for his clutch shooting stroke in that series and in his career.