Title: Ray Allen
Content:  Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in September 2018. He is widely considered one of the greatest shooters of all-time. Allen played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies for three seasons, gaining a reputation as an efficient long-range shooter. He entered the NBA in 1996 as the fifth overall selection. In the NBA, he developed into a prolific scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks, featuring alongside Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell as the team achieved playoff success. However, the trio were unable to capture a championship, and Allen was 
Title: Allan Ray
Content:  Allan Nathaniel Ray (born June 17, 1984 ) is an American sports agent and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for four years at Villanova University. He played one season (2006–07) with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association.
Title: Ray Allen
Content:  Allen became a free agent in the 2014 off-season, and after much anticipation of a return at some point during the 2014–15 season, he announced his decision to sit out the season and focus on 2015–16. However, he did not end up joining a team for the 2015–16 season either. In July 2016, Allen began mulling a comeback, and admitted he was "intrigued" by the possibility of competing for another championship. The following month, Allen had talks with the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks regarding a possible return, but ultimately decided to officially retire from the game on November 1, 2016. In September 2018, Allen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In February 2019, Allen played in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. In October 2021, as part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary, Allen was honored as one of the 75 greatest players of all time, by being named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Title: Ray Allen
Content:  Allen was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth pick of the 1996 NBA draft. Immediately after his selection, Allen and Andrew Lang were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to fourth pick Stephon Marbury. On July 24, 1996, Allen signed a 3-year, $6.2 million contract with the Bucks. Allen made his NBA debut on November 1, 1996, where he started and played 28 minutes and scored 13 points in a win against fellow rookie Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 12, 1997, Allen put in one of his strongest efforts of the season in a win against the Golden State Warriors, contributing 22 points, 6 assists, 3 steals and a new career high of 9 rebounds. In February 1997, Allen competed 
Title: Ray Allen
Content:  Allen married singer/actress Shannon Walker Williams on August 16, 2008, after having dated since 2004. They have four children together. Allen says that he has a borderline case of obsessive–compulsive disorder, to which he attributes his consummate shooting style. Allen served as NBA Spokesperson for the Jr. NBA / Jr. WNBA program and was selected as NBA Spokesman for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He also started the "Ray of Hope" Foundation to assist charities in several communities. President Obama appointed Allen to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Allen is a longtime supporter of the Holocaust Memorial Museum and has brought teammates and friends to the museum on frequent visits. On November 
Title: Ray Allen
Content: 2× NBA champion: 2008, 2013 ; 3× Gold medalist as member of the USA men's basketball team: 1995 Summer Universiade, 2000 Summer Olympics & 2003 FIBA Americas Championship ; 10× NBA All-Star: 2000–2002, 2004–2009, 2011 ; All-NBA Second Team: 2005 ; All-NBA Third Team: 2001 ; NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997 ; NBA Joe Dumars NBA Sportsmanship Award: 2003 ; The Sporting News "Good Guy": 2000, 2001, 2005 ; NBA All-Star Weekend Three-point Shootout champion: 2001 ; USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1995) 
Title: Ray Allen
Content:  victory, Allen secured his first NBA championship. On February 5, 2009, Allen was named as the All-Star replacement for Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson. This marked Allen's ninth time on the All-Star team and the second straight year he had made it alongside teammates Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. On February 22, 2009, with his streak ending at 72, Allen broke the Celtics franchise record in consecutive free throws made previously set by Larry Bird (71). In the first round of the 2009 playoffs against the Chicago Bulls, game one proved to be tough for Allen. He ended up shooting 1–11 from the field, and the Celtics lost 
Title: Allan Ray
Content:   Ray was not selected in the 2006 NBA Draft, surprising many Big East fans and some NBA experts. On July 6, 2006, he was signed as a free agent by the Boston Celtics. Ray was sent to the D-League Austin Toros, but was recalled after just two games there. He led the Toros in scoring in both games he played for them. During the last two months of the season, Ray began receiving extended playing time with the Celtics, and had two 22-point games and three others where he scored 20, 18 and 17 points. Ray was also fourth among rookies in three-point percentage. Despite a seemingly bright future in Boston, Ray agreed to terms on a $2 million contract to play 
Title: Ray Allen
Content:  Allen remained with the Bucks midway through the 2002–03 season, when he was dealt to the Sonics, along with Ronald Murray, former UConn teammate Kevin Ollie, and a conditional first round draft pick, in exchange for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. After an injury-riddled 2003–04 season, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team and, alongside teammate Rashard Lewis, led the Sonics to the Conference Semifinals in 2005. After the 2004–05 season, Allen signed a 5-year, $80 million contract extension. In the 2006–07 regular season, he averaged a career-high 26.4 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. During his Seattle SuperSonics tenure, Allen achieved many individual accomplishments. On 
Title: Allan Ray
Content:  Italy, instead of having the Celtics pick up his $687,456 option. Ray signed with the Euroleague club Lottomatica Virtus Roma on July 27, 2007. Midway through the following season, after the club signed Brandon Jennings (whom Ray served as a mentor to), Ray left to sign a contract with Carife Ferrara for the remaining part of the season. After sitting out the 2009–10 season to recover from knee surgery, Ray signed with Sutor Montegranaro for the 2010–11 season. In November 2011 he signed a temporary contract with BC Krka in Slovenia, but in December 2011 he signed a new contract with Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez in France. In August 2012, he moved to Germany and signed with ratiopharm Ulm for the 2012–13 season. 

Question: what year did ray allen join the nba?
Answer: 1996.