Tony Allen is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was known for his defensive skills and was considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the league during his career.
Allen was born on January 11, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Crane High School in Chicago, where he played basketball and was named the Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2000. He then went on to play college basketball at Oklahoma State University, where he was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2004.
Allen was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft. He spent six seasons with the Celtics, where he established himself as a defensive specialist. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2010 and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2009, 2011, and 2012. He also helped the Celtics win the NBA championship in 2008.
In 2010, Allen signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent. He played for the Grizzlies for seven seasons and continued to be a dominant defensive player. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2011 and 2016. He also helped the Grizzlies reach the Western Conference Finals in 2013.
Allen finished his career with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he played for one season before retiring in 2018. Over the course of his career, he averaged 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He was known for his tenacity on defense and his ability to shut down some of the best offensive players in the league.
Off the court, Allen was known for his work in the community. He established the Tony Allen Karate School in Memphis, which provided free martial arts training to children in the area. He also worked with the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation to support various charitable causes.
In conclusion, Tony Allen was a dominant defensive player in the NBA for 14 seasons. He was known for his tenacity on defense and his ability to shut down some of the best offensive players in the league. He helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship in 2008 and helped the Memphis Grizzlies reach the Western Conference Finals in 2013. Off the court, he was known for his work in the community and his support of various charitable causes.
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