The record-holding two-time NBA champion and recently inducted hall-of-famer reflects on his work ethic, his on-the-court friendships and rivalries, the great teams he's played for, and what it takes to have a long and successful career in this thoughtful, in-depth memoir.
Playing in the NBA for eighteen years, Ray Allen won championships with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat and entered the record books as the original king of the three-point shot. Known as one of the hardest-working and highest-achieving players in NBA history, this most dedicated competitor was legendary for his sharp shooting. From the Outside,complete with a foreword by Spike Lee, is his story in his words: a no-holds-barred look at his life and career, filled with behind-the-scenes stories and surprising revelations about the game he has always cherished.
Allen talks openly about his fellow players, coaches, owners, and friends, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. He reveals how, as a kid growing up in a military family, he learned about responsibility and respect—the key to making those perfect free throws and critical three-point shots.
From the Outside is the portrait of a gifted athlete and a serious man with a strongly defined philosophy about the game and the right way it should be played—a philosophy that, at times, set him apart from colleagues and coaches, while inspiring so many others, and lead to the most pivotal shot of his career: the unforgettable 3-pointer in the final seconds of Game 6 of the 2013 NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Throughout, Allen makes clear that success in basketball is as much about what happens off the court as on, that devotion and commitment are the true essence of the game—and of life itself.
Author Info
Ray Allen, the most prolific three-point shooter of all time, played in the NBA for 18 years, winning two championships (2008 Boston Celtics, 2013 Miami Heat). Allen, who went to the University of Connecticut, was the 1996 Big East Player of the Year. As a pro, he averaged more than 20 points a game for 10 straight seasons.
Michael Arkush is an award-winning sportswriter and has written thirteen books, including The Last Season with Phil Jackson, The Big Fight with Sugar Ray Leonard, "Rush!" the bestselling unauthorized biography of Rush Limbaugh, and Fairways and Dreams. Arkush lives in Oak View, California, with his wife, Pauletta.
Reviews
“I wanted to hate this book. After all, it was Ray Allen who stole the 2013 championship from my beloved Spurs. But From the Outside is fun and compelling (even when he details his famed Game 6 shot). Add this to your collection of basketball books.” — Shea Serrano, author of Basketball (And Other Things) and The Rap Year Book
“We see dimensions of Ray Allen, on and off the court, we never knew or appreciated.” — William C. Rhoden, writer-at-large for ESPN’s The Undefeated, and author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete
“Ray Allen is the product of hard work, grit, efficiency, and the sweetest stroke in the history of the game. He swishes this book like everything else he has done in his life.” — Seth Davis, basketball analyst for CBS Sports and author of Getting to Us: How Great Coaches Make Great Teams
“The three-point assassin Ray Allen reveals himself as a complex, deeply feeling man in this fresh, new portrait.” — Ron Shelton, director of White Men Can’t Jump
“Allen goes behind the box scores to offer an insightful and notably introspective look at his life in basketball...he looks at the game and his part in it with a refreshing, always thoughtful candor.” — Booklist
“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.” — Publishers Weekly
