Congrats to Ray… now taking him down at the All-Star game

We all know my teammate Ray Allen is having one of the best seasons of his career. It’s nice to see at least one of us gettin’ better with age, just like fine wine.

And now look, he did it. He broke Reggie’s record last night at home against LA. What a phenomenal accomplishment. The fact that it happened against the Lakers definitely magnified the whole situation, with our history against them and everything, and it was great having him break the record at home in front of our fans and Ray’s family. Of course it would have been that much better if we had gotten the win, but hopefully we’ll have a chance to see those guys again in June. That’s what we’re aiming for and we’re certainly doing everything in our power to make that happen.

It was also cool that he did it when Reggie was in the house – sitting courtside and everything! We all got pretty emotional, especially when him and Ray brought it in for the big hug. But it was also real special to see the camaraderie between two true professionals who handle themselves with such grace and poise, especially Ray. You know somethin’ big happened when Ray Allen sheds a tear – reminded me of when I got my 20,000th point…but back to the stats: with all due respect to Reggie, and he deserves plenty for playing in this league at the level he did for 18 years, it took my boy Ray Ray 3 fewer years and like 300 games less than it took Reggie. You gotta appreciate how hard it is to knock down 2,560 of those. But he makes it look easy. Ray’s just got one of smoothest strokes out there. Just textbook. Make no mistake Jesus Shuttlesworth has got game!

If guys want an example of how to be ready, how to be consistent, how to be a professional, you look at Ray Allen. He does it both on and off the court too. He’s definitely an example for some of the young guys in the league and the guys in college and high school. Just a living testament to where dedication, persistence and commitment to excellence can get you. He keeps himself in unbelievable shape and that’s been a key factor in keeping his mind and body prepared and staying at the top of his game. When you look up pro baller in the dictionary, you’ll see Ray’s picture in there. He is the definition of a true pro. We couldn’t ask for a better teammate and I’m grateful I had the chance to play with him.

And now I’m happy to let you know that Ray has decided to try to conquer his fears and will face me in the three point competition during All-Star weekend. Record or no record, he’s gonna have to face the defending champ (me) and then really show everyone what he’s got from beyond the arc. Took some convincing, but I called him out and he rose to the occasion. It’ll be fun though and you know I wasn’t afraid to call him out on it. It’ll definitely add some excitement to the weekend. But you gotta remember all the other great star shooters in the league too: Dirk, Nash, Stojakovic, who’ve also all won the three-point contest before -- I’m calling them all out too, and I’m hoping they’ll participate as well. Just bring ‘em all together and see who’s the best of the best. That’s what people really want to see, and that’s what we should want to give our fans. And it’s really about them, our fans, so come on guys, step up and give the fans a show to remember. I’m throwin' the gauntlet down so let’s see who besides Ray is up to the challenge.