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Ray Allen feels he could 'definitely' still succeed in today's NBA

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

One of the NBA's best shooters of all time is no longer playing, and not entirely because he doesn't want to be.

Ray Allen, a 10-time All-Star, walked away from the game just one season removed from capturing a title with the Miami Heat in 2012-13, and eventually announced his retirement last November.

Allen, now 41, appeared on ESPN's "The Jump" on Sunday to talk about why he's not adding more clutch threes to his resume.

"Most of the inquiries I have received were how ready am I to accept my role as a veteran and sit on the bench and mentor the young guys,” Allen said.

“I love to do that, it comes naturally to me, but I do want to play. I wanted to be able to come on the floor and earn whatever minutes I may have gotten. I didn’t know if that was possible, so I didn’t want to be sitting on a team and say, ‘What did I get myself into?'”

Allen said "of course" he misses the game. When asked by host Rachel Nichols if he wishes he was playing in today's era, where stars like Golden State's Steph Curry are given the green light to shoot from beyond the arc, Allen gave his two cents.

"It's interesting - it’s fun to watch because it’s not just Golden State, it’s not just Cleveland,” he said. “You see Toronto playing that way, you see Phoenix playing that way, you see Milwaukee and so many other teams playing that way."

"When I played in Milwaukee, we played that way but we always got criticized because they said small ball couldn't win ... we were untraditional back there in the 90's."

Allen went on to say that he does envy the way the game has evolved, and he could "definitely" play in it.

So, is it time for a heartfelt Players' Tribune article in which Jesus Shuttlesworth announces his comeback?

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