Five years after their pursuit of a title ended in Seattle, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen have once again joined forces.
This time the duo is essentially competing for the same role, lethal 3-point shooter off the bench as Miami defends its latest championship.
While their tenure with the SuperSonics can be deemed a success, even though they never made it past the second round of the post season, anything short of a title next season will be a failure.
The Heat are hoping the pair can camp out beyond the arc and bury long range shots as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade attack the basket.
Perhaps no combination of players in league history is better equipped to do just that.
Allen has made more 3-point shots than anyone in league history while the 1,690 makes from Lewis ranks eighth all time.
Both players have set Finals records for their 3-point proficiency, as Lewis holds the record for most 3-point field goals made in a five-game series (16) and Allen’s eight makes during Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals stands as the most in a contest.
Each player reached a free agent agreement with the Heat this week, but face drastically different expectations with their new team.
Allen is hoping to rejuvenate his career, joining the rival Heat amid accusations of being a traitor to pursue a title.
Miami is hoping Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen can once again form a lethal shooting combination.
The Heat is hoping he can provide a major contribution off the bench, a new role for the 10-time All-Star.
Lewis is looking to make an impact after bouncing around the league and failing to live up to his massive contract.
Over the course of four seasons together, Allen and Lewis formed one of the most lethal scoring duos in the league, averaging over 20 points per game each for three years together.
The combination even led Seattle to a surprising 52 wins in 2004-05 as both players were selected to the All-Star contest.
Two seasons later, the players became expendable as Seattle focused on rebuilding around the second overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, forward Kevin Durant.
Two weeks following the trade of Allen to Boston for the rights to the fifth overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, Lewis signed a six-year $118 million free agent contact to join Orlando.
Lewis failed to provide the scoring impact he showcased in Seattle, never averaging more than 17.6 points per game, but he found success as a long range shooter.
By shifting to power forward, Lewis was able to exploit many mismatches, forcing taller defenders to either chase him on the perimeter or guard Dwight Howard with one defender at the basket.
In 2008-09, Lewis was selected as an All-Star while leading the league with 230 made 3-pointers and including the game winner in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals as the Magic made an unexpected run to the championship round.
During the three seasons after Orlando’s loss to the Lakers in the Finals, Lewis has seen his scoring average decrease.
Ray Allen found tremendous success while in Boston as Rashard Lewis struggled in Orlando.
With such a massive contract and the rest of his game lacking, Lewis was not only blamed for the Magic’s post season failures, but even deemed the one of the primary causes of last year’s lockout.
Before being dealt to Washington for the equally bloated contract of Gilbert Arenas, Lewis managed just nine double-doubles in 257 games with the Magic.
The day before free agency began, Lewis was dealt to New Orleans for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza after scoring just 7.8 points in 26 minutes per game for the Wizards.
The Hornets bought out his contract, while still forced to pay him $13.7 million this season, enabling him to become a free agent and sign with the Heat.
Allen joins the Big 3 in Miami after a successful run with the trio he was responsible for assembling in Boston.
After the Celtics acquired Allen, joining him with Paul Pierce, forward Kevin Garnett demanded a trade and was dealt to Boston.
The trio bonded instantly, winning the 2008 NBA championship and solidifying Allen as Hall of Fame candidate.
Both Allen and Lewis are coming off their lowest scoring averages since their debut seasons and are hoping to restore their shooting touch in Miami.
Five years after leaving each other, the reunited teammates are hoping to finally win a title together.
