When it comes to big names in the NBA, such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James is almost a household name. Whether it's their honor or their signature moves, everyone may have a lot of treasures. But in addition to those superstars, some special role players have also left a bright mark on the history of the NBA, and today let's take a look at the story of Tony Allen, the best defender in the mouth of NBA players.
Difficult living conditions, players who came out of the gang
Chicago is known as the "City of Basketball" because it is where the basketball god Michael Jordan founded the Bulls dynasty. But the basketball city isn't what its name suggests, it's not a place to breed basketball people. Instead, it's actually a sin city full of crime and drugs, and basketball is just a lifesaver for those who want to leave under these bad things, and Tony Allen is one of those people who grab the straw and come out of the mire to rejuvenate.
That's right, Tony Allen was born in Chicago and grew up entirely in the shadow of crime, violence, and drugs. But he was very competitive, and instead of going to prison like many friends who played together when he was a child, he stayed on the basketball court and made a name for himself with basketball and his attitude.
In high school, Tony Allen's basketball talent began to show, but due to his growing environment, he could only attend Crane High School in Chicago and was promoted to a community college called "Butler". Even if he later transferred to Bavash Valley Academy and became a super talent there, he was unable to make it to the NCAA stage due to school reasons, which meant that he was out of the NBA. But fortunately, gold always shines, and the basketball coach of Bavashi Valley Academy did not want such a new basketball star to be buried, so he helped Tony Allen transfer. Eventually, with the help of his coach, he successfully joined Oklahoma State University and officially began his NCAA career.
After transferring to Oklahoma State University, Tony Allen did not let his coach's efforts go to waste, successfully leading the team to the NCAA Final Four that season and was named the "Best Basketball Player in the United States". But this is not enough, because Tony Allen has not experienced systematic training at all, his style of play is complete dunking, that is, he plays purely on his body, and does not have any delicate shooting skills.
It's nothing, but Tony Allen's physical fitness isn't particularly impressive, and if he enters the NBA draft like this, almost no one will be optimistic about his prospects. So Tony Allen started to change, starting with defense, intending to hone himself into a super defender. As it turned out, Tony Allen's choice was not wrong, and the Celtics, who were interested in Tony Allen's defensive ability, selected Tony Allen with the 25th pick in 2004. This is where Tony Allen's NBA career begins.
A tough defense that convinced the Black Mamba and the Grim Reaper
After entering the NBA, Tony Allen did not forget why he was chosen, so he chose to continue to carry out the defense to the end, and gradually established his own defensive style in the NBA, that is, with excellent physical fitness, sharp intuition and tenacity, he became the team's defensive giants and defensive superstars on the opposite side. One of the most classic is to convince Kobe Bryant, the poisonous snake who never admits defeat.
Due to the same position, there have been many opportunities to play against Kobe Bryant in Tony Allen's career, so the two will often go against each other to see if their own defense is tougher or the opponent's offense is more inexplicable. The number of times has increased, and the duel between the two has begun to become particularly eye-catching. Then people were surprised to find that in many games, Allen actually limited Kobe's scoring efficiency with his excellent defensive skills and tenacious fighting spirit, and exhausted the superstar who didn't seem to be deflated.
Because even though Kobe Bryant is a scorer with strong attacking power, under Allen's tireless pressure all over the court, he has to put in more effort to find scoring opportunities, and in the late game, even if his physical strength is good, he can't hold on. In many post-game interviews, when Kobe Bryant was asked how he would evaluate Tony Allen, he would always shake his head and say that the guy was really too difficult.
In addition to Kobe Bryant, the Grim Reaper Kevin Durant is also one of the victims of Tony Allen's defense
As we all know, Kevin Durant is known in the league for his scoring ability, averaging basically no less than 20 points per game, but Tony Allen has successfully limited Durant's play in many games and helped the team achieve key victories. So much so that when Durant was asked who is the best defender for your matchup, he did not hesitate to say Tony Allen's name. To be praised by the top scorers of the two major leagues, Tony Allen is undoubtedly the most successful defender!
Solid defence has a positive impact on the team's tactics and the youngsters
In addition to leading the superstars on the opposite side of the game, Tony Allen's defence has also positively influenced the team's tactics and later the youngsters.
At the tactical level, Tony Allen's superior defensive ability allows the coach to have more options when planning his tactics, so that he can arrange a better lineup to deal with the situation. Especially on the playoff stage, the coach multiplied the team's chances of winning based on some of the defensive buckets he laid out. In terms of team relations, as a defensive specialist, Allen's attitude and dedication to defending have also had a positive impact on the young players.
And he made later players understand that basketball is not only about offense, defense can also determine the key to the game, motivating them to put in more effort on the defensive end, so that the team's cohesion and strength will increase. So whether it's defending star players on the court or networking off the field, Tony Allen will always be the brightest star, even if he is not well-known compared to other big-name stars.