In the summer of 1996 the Milwaukee Bucks had a decision to make. They had a new coach in Chris Ford and the fourth pick in a stocked draft. They chose Stephon Marbury, but the player they wanted was Ray Allen.

Minnesota sat directly behind the Bucks and the T-Wolves had eyes for Marbury, so the Bucks picked Marbury and flipped him for Allen and a future first-rounder, who was chosen fifth. In the Byzantine labyrinth of NBA transactions, the future first-rounder became Rasho Nesterovic, who was promptly traded back to Minnesota for the largely-forgotten Andrew Lang.

None of that mattered on draft night, however. It was Allen or Marbury.

“I can remember the night of the draft,” Ford said. “We traded Stephon for Ray and we got booed when we made the announcement. Ray was the guy we wanted. It’s kind of ironic if you track their two careers. It was the right selection.”

Ford, the former Celtic player and coach, knew immediately that he had a talented shooter on his hands. That was obvious, but what Ford didn’t know at the time was that Allen would work harder than most players. That he would develop a now legendary routine of showing up hours before games to work on his shot.

In his early days with the Bucks, Allen would stay after practice to get up shots and talk concepts with a player named Jeff Noordgard, who had a blip of an NBA career but went on to fame and fortune in Poland and throughout Europe.

The names have changed over the years – Allen also mentored Rashard Lewis when they were in Seattle – but Allen’s routine has remained constant. Who can tell how many jumpers Allen has shot in his life before games and after practices, but his combination of talent and hard work has left him just four 3-pointers shy of passing Reggie Miller for the most all-time.

“He doesn’t take anything for granted,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said prior to his team’s game with the Celtics Sunday. “He’s still the first guy in the building every day. He still gets up more shots than everybody. I have great admiration for what he’s done.”

Van Gundy was listening to the ABC telecast of the Celtics-Lakers game last Sunday when commentator Mark Jackson theorized that shooters like Allen are born, not made. Like his brother Jeff – and most other people – Stan took exception to the remarks.

“I texted Jeff immediately,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t buy any of that. People are born with certain physical gifts: size and speed and quickness that can only be developed to some degree. But skills? No. He did not come out of the womb being able to shoot a basketball. That has to be developed.”

A NEW STRATEGY

On Oct. 12, 1979 – a date also famous for marking the debut of one Larry Bird -- Ford lined up behind a new line on the court and made the first 3-point shot in NBA history. The 3-pointer was a gift from the ABA, one of many the upstart league handed to the more established NBA during its tumultuous nine-year run.  It was also a boon to a player like Ford, who had carved out a reputation as a smart, heady player.

“It was another weapon,” Ford said. “It was something that helped me stay on the floor a little bit longer. I wasn’t noted as a great shooter going into that, it was just something I could add and use it to the best of my ability.”

What no one knew at the time was how much the 3-pointer would affect the game. Most teams were cautious at first – although the Celtics took full advantage thanks to Bird and Ford. The league average was about 2.5 attempts per game, per team. The Hawks took only 75 the whole season.

“It was really a minute number,” said Ford, who is now a scout with the 76ers. “Nothing like it is today. It’s something that the fans enjoyed and it changed the strategy of the games.” 

Three decades later, teams like the Magic take 25 3’s per game. The 3-pointer is no longer seen as a bad shot, or a gimmick. It’s a staple of every NBA’s teams arsenal, and like their forerunners in the ABA, it’s not unusual for teams to try to line up looks in transition and off the fast break.

The 3-pointer has kept marginal players employed over the years. Take Miami’s James Jones, for example, who has attempted 213 3’s this season and only 38 shots inside the arc. But while Allen is on the cusp of becoming the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, he is far from a one-dimensional gunner.

“You try to get a second defender to him to take away the jump shot and he makes plays to open people,” Van Gundy said. “As good as they are offensively, and they give us trouble in a lot of areas, the hardest thing we have to defend is him running off screens. He is a great, great player. What’s really remarkable is how long he’s sustained this level of play. It’s a tribute to all the work he puts in.”

A REVITALIZED ALLEN

A year ago at this time, the pressure was mounting on Celtics president Danny Ainge to shake up his aging core. The Celtics were struggling and it looked like the window had closed. Allen was in the last year of his contract, and would likely net a hefty return if he was dealt, but Ainge stood firm.

He felt all along that his team could still compete for a championship if they were healthy and beyond that, there was no one out there who could duplicate what Allen brings to the Celtics. Allen stayed and the Celtics made their run.

This summer, there was little doubt that Ainge would try to bring Allen back for more. He had interest from other teams, but this is where he wanted to be, and he’s been better than ever.

Allen is shooting a career-best 46 percent from 3-point range and is also over 50 percent from the floor for the first time in his career. Wing players in their mid 30’s are not supposed to age this well in the NBA, but Allen is an anomaly.

“He’s had a tremendous career,” Ford said. “He was a great kid and he’s a great man now. He’s going to go down in history as one of the great shooters in the game.”