Ray Allen ’27 is Making a Name for Himself at Emerson: The Athletic

For Ray Allen III ’27, Emerson College is a place where he has been able to grow into his own identity as a player and person, away from the brightest lights but not from expectations, writes The Athletic. 

Coaches and teammates praise his resilience and defensive intensity, noting the quiet fire that drives him despite constant comparisons to his NBA Hall of Fame father, Ray Allen II. At Emerson, he is not defined solely as “Ray Allen’s son,” but as a competitor embracing the daily work of improvement.

Emerson has given him the opportunity to focus on interests outside of sports. He interned at Publicis Groupe, a major New York City advertising agency. 

Still, his passion for the professional game remains strong. He has expressed interest in working for an NBA franchise in a front-office role one day.

“I know basketball so much,” said Allen III. “Where it’s like I could really help a team and just give back to the game.”

Emerson may be the right fit in more ways than one, writes Jay King. The College boasts an unlikely but well-established pipeline to NBA front offices — proof that the path from a Division III gym in Boston can extend all the way to the league’s executive ranks.

Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti is said to have taken six charges in a single game as an Emerson guard. While rising to the top of the NBA world, Presti helped put other Emerson graduates in a position to climb with him — and, in doing so, helped establish the most unlikely front office bloodline from the small liberal arts college. Will Dawkins, the Washington Wizards general manager, and Rob Hennigan, the former Orlando Magic GM who is now an assistant GM for the Thunder, each scored more than 1,000 points as Emerson basketball players.