Review by Booklist Review
And then we played . . . too often those four words are the refrain that drives sports biographies, as star players recount their careers, game by game, the stunning shots or touchdown runs eventually blurring into one another like a highlight reel on ESPN. There are plenty of game recaps and certainly a wealth of stunning shots in this autobiography of Ray Allen after all, he's the NBA's leader in career three-pointers but there's much more than that. With the help of coauthor Arkush, Allen goes behind the box scores to offer an insightful and notably introspective look at his life in basketball, including 18 years in the NBA and two championships, one with Boston in 2008 and another in Miami in 2013. Fans will relish the inside look at Allen's difficult relationships with his coach in Milwaukee, George Karl, and, later, with fellow Celtic Rajon Rondo, but Allen never dishes just for the fun of it. He's often contrite about his missteps on and off the court, and, throughout the book, he looks at the game and his part in it with a refreshing, always thoughtful candor.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Former NBA star Allen recalls his bumpy path to glory in this steady, thoughtful effort. The son of an Air Force metal technician, Allen hopscotched the globe before becoming a high school basketball star in Dalzell, S.C., where his teammates viewed him as someone who would "do something good with [his] life, and they most likely would not." He was recruited by the University of Connecticut, where he learned what's required to go from being a good athlete to a great one: "It is not enough just to arrive early," he writes. "You also must stick around until your work is done." In the NBA, Allen got a different education, that basketball is a business. He was traded twice-from the Milwaukee Bucks, whose coach George Karl didn't bother to tell Allen, and from the Seattle SuperSonics, even after general manager Sam Presti told him he was part of the team's future. He eventually played for the Boston Celtics, where he thrived, but was overlooked in favor of LeBron James for the MVP award in the 2008 season. While Allen highlights his professional accomplishments, details of his personal life are scant: he shares little of his childhood; his parents' stormy relationship and their divorce; or how he handled being a young father as an NBA newcomer. Still, Allen's astute telling provides a bracing reminder that athletes' success comes from the right attitude, the right skills, and the right set of circumstances. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Before Steph Curry there was Ray Allen, who in 18 NBA seasons scorched the nets for 2,973 three-point field goals, making him the all-time leader in threes. At his present rate, Curry, barring injury or early retirement, could surpass Allen in a few seasons. But until then Allen is the king of the shot that, along with the dunk, and has been one of the players who significantly shaped modern basketball. He and Arkush, a veteran author and collaborator, follow Allen from small-town South Carolina to the University of Connecticut to NBA stints in Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, and Miami (and along the way, two NBA championships and an unexpected star turn in Spike Lee's He Got Game). They avoid the salacious tales found in many tell-all biographies of the rich and famous, though a few axes involving coaches, opponents, and teammates are ground. Still, there remains an almost old-school emphasis on the virtues of hard work, clean living, and team play. -VERDICT This middle-of-the-road sports biography might not be lapped up like those about LeBron James, Steph Curry, or even some of the game's more controversial stars, but it should find a home with fans of 1990s-2010s basketball.-Jim Burns, formerly with Jacksonville P.L., FL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
